Sugar and Spice
by Misha
Summary: What if Rory had a twin? One as different from her as night and day... Now Complete.
1. Part One: Surprise Visit

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

Disclaimer- I don't own "Gilmore Girls" or anything associated it. T I wish I did, but I don't, they belong to people with way more money than me. I'm not making any money off of this story, so please don't sue me. Thanks!

Author's Notes- I've seen lots of "Rory has a twin" stories and decided to write one. It's sort of a Parent Trap premise, one twin per parent, though in this case they definitely know about each other. I think managed to do it and keep Christopher true to character. This starts at the end of "That Darned Donna Reed" and goes from there, covering the rest of the first season and borrowing from cannon, but diverting a little. That's all for now. Enjoy!

Pairings- Rory/Dean, Tristan/Other, minor Christopher/Lorelai.

Summery- What if Rory had a twin? One as different from her as night and day...

Spoilers- Everything, especially season one.

Rating- PG-13

* * *

Part One: Surprise Visit

Lorelai Gilmore made an appreciative noise as a motorcycle drove by. "Kill me and bury me with that bike." She told her daughter.

"What is it?" Rory asked. "A Harley?"

Lorelai shook her head, obviously she had left out a key part of Rory's education. It crossed her mind that Christa would be able to identify it instantly and she filed away the thought to mention the bike sighting when she talked to her other daughter on the phone next.

"That is a 200 Indian, 80 horsepower, 5 speed close ratio Andrews transmission and I want to get one." She informed her daughter.

"No." Rory said flatly. 

"Why not?" Lorelai asked plaintively.

"You'd die." Rory informed her.

Lorelai shrugged. "Oh, that." She was actually able to drive a motorcycle and _not_ die, but it didn't surprise her that Rory didn't like the idea. Her kid was just too cautious, at least this one was. The other one would be all for getting a motorcycle, since that one had never met a risk that she didn't like.

Just then the bike stopped and two people got off.

"Hey." The driver said.

"Hi." Lorelai said, and turned to walk the other direction.

"Take your shirt off." He said from behind her.

_What the Hell?_ Lorelai thought, after all that was not what you normally heard on a Stars Hollow Street.

She and Rory turned around to see the guy take off his helmet and reveal a very familiar face. Christopher Hayden, Rory's father.

"Dad!" Rory shouted, running to hug him.

Lorelai didn't pay Christopher much attention, she was too occupied by his companion, her daughter Christa.

"Hey there." She said, holding out her arms. Her other daughter ran into them, and Lorelai hugged her tightly.

"Hey Mom." Christa said with a grin. "Surprised to see us?"

"Surprised and delighted." Lorelai said, tucking Christa's hair behind her ear. "You know I always love seeing you, kid."

She often regretted the deal she'd made with Christopher, that had her raising Rory while he raised Christa and had many times since she'd bought the house and made a good life for herself, offered to have Christa come live with them, but both Christopher and Christa always refused the offers. They had their own thing going and they liked it. 

Lorelai reluctantly let Christa go, so that Rory could embrace her twin. She turned to Christopher and accepted his hug, though she was slightly wary.

This was the first time Christopher had ever come to Stars Hollow, Christa had been, of course, but never Christopher.

"This is great!" Rory exclaimed excitedly. "What are you guys doing here?" 

Christopher and Christa exchanged looks, setting off Lorelai's internal alarm.

"Straub and Francine are back in Connecticut." Christa announced after a moment. "So, Dad and I are making an appearance and since we're here, I told him that I refused to come here without seeing you guys."

"And I agreed, so here we are." Christopher told them. "You guys look great."

"So do you." Lorelai told him and then looked at Christa. "And you, you keep growing on me." 

She studied her daughter. On the surface, Rory and Christa were identical and as children they had always been interchangeable, at least physically, but at sixteen the subtle differences were more obvious.

Christa's hair was longer than Rory's, hanging to her waist, and she wore it down, unconstricted, it also had reddish-purple streaks in it. Her face was made up more dramatically than Rory's and where Rory wore her school uniform, Christa wore a pair of jeans, a leather jacket that matched Christopher's and an AC/DC shirt, that showed off the piece of metal in her navel--which she hadn't had last time Lorelai had seen her.

"So where would somebody find someplace to stay around here?" Christopher asked.

"Stay, really?" Rory asked excitedly. "You guys are staying?"

"Thinking about it." Christopher told her.

"Stay with us!" Rory invited excitedly.

"Christa will, but I'll find a hotel or something." Christopher began.

"Mom, please?" Rory asked her.

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Christopher, why don't you stay with us for a couple days?"

"Thanks Lor." Christopher told her. "You won't even know I'm there."

Lorelai doubted that, but she figured it might be fun. She looked at Christa. "You'll stay in Rory's room, of course."

Christa nodded. "Sounds fun." 

Christopher turned to Rory. "Hop on." He said, referring to the bike.

Lorelai bit her tongue, after all she would never object to Christa riding it, and watched Rory climb on and watched the two of them ride down the street.

"Christopher." She whispered, then turned to her other daughter. "So, I guess we walk."

"I guess we do." Christa said with a smile. "I've missed you, Mom."

"I've missed you." Lorelai told her, giving her another hug.

She hated that she almost never saw Christa, but she also didn't see that changing. Christa was happy with her life with Christopher and Lorelai had to live with that.

* * *

  
"You have to meet Dean." Rory told Christa excitedly when they made it back to the house.

She'd told her sister lots about him over the phone and vice versa, but the two had never actually met face to face before, so Rory was excited about that.

"Of course." Christa said with a grin. "I can't wait." 

Rory looked at her twin. She loved it when Christa visited and now it was even better, because their dad was there too. They were all under the same roof, like a real family.

"How's it going in here?" Lorelai asked from the doorway.

"I'm impressed by how many books she's acquired since my last visit." Christa told their mother. "I swear they must breed or something."

"I've always wondered that myself." Lorelai said with a grin.

Rory knew how happy her mother was having Christa there. She never felt jealous of the fact that when Christa was around, Lorelai focused almost entirely on her. She just figured it was natural.

After all, Christa didn't live with them and they didn't see her very often, so of course Lorelai would want to spend all the time with her that she could. Besides, Rory always felt the same way when Christa was around, wanting to absorb as much time with her twin as she could.

"I told Christa that tomorrow I want her to meet Dean." Rory told Lorelai. 

"Dean?" Christopher asked from the doorway, coming up from behind Lorelai. "Who's this Dean?"

"Rory's boyfriend." Christa answered.

Christopher shook his head. "You have a boyfriend. Wow."

"Doesn't Christa date?" Rory asked, looking at her twin.

Christa often mentioned guys in her e-mails and phone calls, though not usually the _same_ guy.

"Not long enough to call someone my boyfriend." Christa responded with a grin.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Ah, so you take after your father then." 

"And your mother." Christopher chimed in. "I don't seem to recall any mention of you having found the 'one' either, Lor."

"Let's just admit it, Rory's the only one here capable of a mature relationship." Christa said grinning at her sister.

"We already knew that." Rory chimed in.

Everyone laughed at that.

Rory looked around and took in the sight in front of her. Her, her mom and dad, and her twin, all in the same room, laughing together. This was perfect.

* * *


	2. Part Two: Parent Talk

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Two: Parent Talk

"You let her pierce her navel?" Lorelai asked Christopher when they were alone. The girls were in Rory's room. Rory was studying, Christa was bothering her and just fiddling around.

Christopher shrugged. "She wanted it. I didn't see the harm."

"Just don't let her pierce her face." Lorelai told him. "I'd hate to have to not associate with my own daughter."

"Done." Christopher agreed with a laugh. "Think your mom would like it?" 

Lorelai laughed. "Oh... Tempting." She was quiet. "She looks good, Chris."

"She's a good kid." Christopher told her. "And so's Rory, you're doing an amazing job with her."

"It's odd watching them together." Lorelai admitted. "Remember when they were babies? They were exactly the same, yet now..."

"Yeah." Christopher said, shaking his head. "Maybe it's us, our different approaches."

"Maybe." Lorelai agreed. "Or maybe it's just them."

"Does Rory ever scare you?" Christopher asked her.

"All the time." Lorelai confided. "It just hits me that I'm raising a teenager, but mostly she's been pretty good. Christa?"

"Has her moments." Christopher confessed. "But a lot of the time, I wonder who's raising who."

"I feel that way with Rory." Lorelai said with a smile. "Maybe they aren't as different as we thought."

"Is this when I mention the tattoo?" Christopher asked.

Lorelai shot him a look. "She has a _tattoo_?"

"A small one." Christopher told her. "On her ankle. She thought it would be cool."

"Chris, we're their parents, we're not supposed to let them do something just because it would be 'cool'." Lorelai scolded, feeling as she always did with Chris that it was one step forward and two steps back.

"What's the harm?" Christopher asked.

"Other than the fact that she'll have to live with it for the rest of her life?" Lorelai asked her. "Chris, she's sixteen."

"You trying saying no to her." Christopher challenged. "It's hard, Lor, especially when it's something she really, really wants." 

"Oh, I bet." Lorelai told him. "Rory's the same way."

"I wanted to talk to you about that." Christopher told her.

"About what?" Lorelai asked. 

"Rory." He said. "I handled it badly, Lor, I've dropped the ball there a lot of times."

"Yes, you have." Lorelai agreed. Christopher was an absent parent to Rory, if best, one of the reasons Lorelai worried about Christa so much.

In fact, one of the reasons Christopher actually talked to Rory on a biweekly basis was that Lorelai called at least that often to talk to Christa and usually arranged to get Christopher and Rory talking at the same time.

"You've done such a great job." He told her. "With Rory and with Christa, being there for her. She never feels like you're neglecting her or like she's really missing out. She knows that whatever she needs, she can't count on you. Rory hasn't been as lucky, has she?"

"No, she hasn't." Lorelai told him.

"I want to be there for her more." Christopher told her. "I look at Christa and I realize that I'm missing out on all the same things with Rory and I want to change that."

Lorelai looked at him, wondering if she could believe him. It sounded nice, but then it always did. 

"I don't know how much your dad has told you but I'm on the verge of kind of a big success, it's for real this time." He told her. "I've got a company with an actual cash flow, I've got employees, I've got an accountant for God's sake. He wears a tie and says words like 'fiduciary' and 'ironically'. I mean it's for real this time Lor."

Lorelai looked at him. "I'd love to believe that, Christopher." But she'd heard it all before. 

Christopher sighed. "Why does your dad have more faith in me than you do?"

"Because, I've known you since I was six, Chris." Lorelai told him. "I have two children with you and yeah, you've done a pretty good job with Christa, piercings and tattoos aside, but you're still that guy who crashed his Porsche two hours after his parents gave it to him for his 16th birthday."

"And you were the girl in the Pinky Tuscadero t-shirt sitting right next to me." He countered. 

Lorelai smiled slightly. "That was a long time ago, Chris. Nowadays that's more likely to be our daughter."

"She does have that in her, doesn't she?" Christopher asked, shaking his head. "How did Rory miss out?"

"I'm not sure." Lorelai told him. "She's always been my mini-adult." 

She sighed. "So, you're life's back on track, I think that's great." She told him. "I just want to know how it involves me."

"I haven't been around for Rory, like I have for Christa, and I regret that." Christopher told her. "I'd like to change that, be around a bit more. Be a real part of Rory's life."

"That option's always been there." Lorelai told him slowly. "You rarely used it."

"I know." Christopher told her. "I can think of so many excuses, that I had my hands full with Christa, but that's just an excuse, because you always made time for Christa while you raised Rory. You were a fantastic mother to them both. So, I'm not going to make excuses, all I'm going to say is that I want to use it now. I want to make up for everything. Is that ok?"

"Of course it is." Lorelai told him. "You're her father, Chris."

That was the truth. Whatever doubts she had about Christopher, he was Rory's father, and she wasn't going to interfere with that. No matter how much she might want to.

* * *


	3. Part Three: Around Stars Hollow

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Three: Around Stars Hollow

"I'm going to take Christa and Dad to meet Dean." Rory told her mother enthusiastically the next morning. "He's playing softball."

"Sounds good." Lorelai told her, then turned to Christa. "How about you come by the Inn after that? Give your Dad and Rory some alone time and come hang out with your mom? I know Sookie would love to see you."

Christa smiled. "That sounds nice." She turned to her sister. "Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, that's great." Rory told her, excited at the idea of being able to show her dad all around Stars Hollow. "I'll give Dad the grand tour."

Though the location was new, Christopher having never visited Stars Hollow before, this was how it usually worked when they were all together.

Christopher and Rory spent time together while Christa and Lorelai did the same. As if everyone was making up for lost time and trying to cram as much time together as possible into one short visit. The twins usually spent their bonding time during Christa's visits to Stars Hollow or Rory's visits to see their dad.

Rory wondered what it must be like to have a family where you didn't have to say good-bye to your sister all the time and where you saw your dad more than a few times a year. 

Well, maybe that would change, she thought to herself. Christopher had come to them and brought Christa with them, they were all here, together, for the first time and maybe that was a step in the right direction. Maybe they wouldn't always have to say good-bye.

* * *

"Oh, Rory he's cute." Christa said, spotting her sister's boyfriend right away. "You did good, sis."

Rory smiled. "Thanks." 

"Which one is he?" Christopher asked curiously. 

"Over there." Rory said, pointing to Dean. "And that's Luke, the one he's arguing with."

"The diner guy, right?" Christopher asked.

"The diner guy." Christa confirmed, being very familiar with Luke from her visits to Stars Hollow.

She watched Luke and Dean argue for a few minutes, until Kirk made a few too many obnoxious comments, causing Luke to go after him.

At that point, Dean came over to them. "Hey." He said, smiling at Rory.

"Hey." She told him, smiling back at him. "Dean, this is my dad. Dad, this is Dean."

"Dean." Christopher greeted. 

"Uh, nice to meet you." Dean said awkwardly. 

"This is Christa." Rory said then, directing Dean's attention away from their father.

Dean looked at her and blinked. "You guys..."

"That's a common reaction." Christa said with a laugh. "Let me guess, we look alike, yet we don't, huh?"

"Pretty much." Dean agreed. "It's the hair and the outfit."

Rory was wearing a sweatshirt and a pair of slacks, with a headband in her hair, while Christa wore a pair of tight jeans, a black t-shirt and her black leather jacket, her hair pinned back with sparkly butterfly clips.

Christa laughed. "That usually does it. Of course, I also have a tattoo, if that helps."

Dean blinked and looked at Rory, then back at Christa. "A tattoo?" 

"I wanted Rory to get a matching one, but she refused." Christa said plaintively.

"That's because I'm not stupid." Rory said, earning a glare from Christa.

Dean shook his head again. "It's weird, it's like you're the same, but totally different."

"Took me a while to get used to it too." Christopher assured him. "It is kind of freaky, isn't it?"

"Dean, come on!" Luke called from the field, ending the conversation.

"I gotta go." Dean said and then looked at Rory. "I'll see you later." He turned to Christopher. "It was nice meeting you. You too, Christa."

With that he ran off onto the field and Christa grinned at her sister. "I approve."

Rory laughed. "Always a good thing. Dad?"

"I still don't want to admit that you're old enough to date, but if you have to, he seems relatively tolerable." Christopher admitted.

The twins exchanged looks, knowing that was the best they were going to get from their dad.

* * *

"Have fun at the softball game?" Lorelai asked when Christa showed up at the Inn. 

Christa nodded. "Yeah, it was cool. Dean seems nice, plus he's cute, so that's good."

"Always a plus." Lorelai agreed, steering Christa into the kitchen.

Sookie looked up as they walked in. "You've grown!" Sookie announced, enveloping Christa in a big hug.

"Just a little." Christa said with a smile. "Hi Sookie."

"You look beautiful." Sookie told her. "I love your hair." 

"Thanks." Christa said with a smile. "I thought it would be a cool change."

"Show her the tattoo." Lorelai instructed. She'd seen it that morning and it was actually kind of cute, though she still wasn't sure she approved. 

Sookie's eye went wide. "Tattoo?"

Christa rolled down her sock to show the small intwined R and C on her ankle. 

"R and C, Rory and Christa. That's sweet." Sookie told her, even as she exchanged a look with Lorelai.

"It's okay, Mom hates it." Christa said, grinning at Lorelai.

"I just think you're a little too young to permanately disfigure yourself." Lorelai told her. "There's lots of time for that still."

Christa grinned. "It's just a little tattoo, Mom. Dad wouldn't let me get a bigger one."

"Thank heavens for that." Lorelai muttered, reaching out to stroke her daughter's hair.

It always amazed her how different the twins were. She saw Rory all the time and she sometimes excepted Christa to be just like that, when the truth was, they couldn't be more different.

Christa was their wild child, the one who, really when it came down to it, was just like Lorelai and Christopher had been all those years ago.

Maybe that was why she scared Lorelai so much.

* * *


	4. Part Four: Dinner Invite

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Four: Dinner Invite

"So how's your Dad's business really going?" Lorelai asked Christa later.

Christa winced, wondering if she should tell her mother the truth. Well, it would come out in the next day or so anyway.

"It's not." Christa told her honestly. "In fact, that's why we're here, I'm going to stay with Straub and Francine for a while, until he gets back on his feet."

"No." Lorelai said and shook her head. "I knew it. I just knew it was another story. Damn it."

"He does want to change." Christa said, defending her father. "And the grandparents don't know the truth, Dad just told them that I missed Connecticut."

"If you're coming back here, why don't you come live in Stars Hollow?" Lorelai offered. "Rory and I would love it."

"No." Christa told her quietly. "Mom, I love you and I love Rory, but I don't belong here."

"You belong in Hartford with the Haydens?" Lorelai asked her.

"Of course not." Christa answered adamantly. She was dreading the experience--she had no particular fondness for her grandparents and the idea of living with them... Well, she kept assuring herself that it was only temporary. "But it's only for a little while."

"Well, come live with us for that little while." Lorelai told her. "Just until your dad's ready to have you again."

"Mom, if I come live with you, I won't leave." Christa told her. "And Dad, he needs me, in a way you don't. We're a pair."

"Ok." Lorelai said with a sigh. "But you're going to visit a lot, right? After all, if you're in Hartford I expect to see lots of you." 

"I promise." Christa told her with a smile. "After all, if I have to put up with Straub and Francine, I'll need a break."

"That I could definitely see." Lorelai told her. "So what's your dad going to do this time?"

"I have no idea." Christa told her softly. "He says he wants to move up back this way, be there for Rory more."

"He was telling me that too." Lorelai told her. "Think he means it?"

"I think he does." Christa said, always willing to see the best in her father. She understood him and knew he wasn't perfect, but she knew he tried. That had to count for something.

* * *

Lorelai took Christa to Luke's, it was where they were meeting up with Rory and Christopher.

"Hey you, I saw you at the ball game, when did you arrive?" Luke asked, spotting Christa.

She smiled at him. "Dad and I showed up yesterday."

"Dad." Luke repeated in surprise. "Is that the guy who was with you and Rory this morning?"

"Yeah." Christa told him. "That'd be him."

"Interesting." Luke said, looking at Lorelai. "So that was..."

"The guy who impregnated me with the twins--yes."

Christa giggled at the phrasing, whereas Luke just looked awkward. "Oh, well, he did a good job."

Lorelai was about to continue teasing him, when the door opened and Rory and Chris entered.

"Hi." Rory greeted.

"Hi, how was your morning?" Lorelai asked, kissing Rory. The four of them walked to a table and sat down. 

"Well, we saw Al's Paraguayan pancake house, we were stalked by several towns people and apparently I look like Billy Crudup." Christopher informed them.

Christa and Rory giggled and Lorelai shot him a look. "You do not."

"Take it up with Jackson." Christopher told her.

Lorelai smiled, kind of liking this image, Christopher in Stars Hollow. 

Just then Christopher's cell phone rang.

"Ah, ah, ah ah. Hey, hey, hey, hey." Lorelai said, pointing to the no cell phone sign.

Christopher ignored her and answered it. "Hello? Emily!"

"Emily?" Lorelai asked, hoping that Christopher knew some other Emily. Not that she could avoid her mother, after all this week they were having their Friday Night dinner on Saturday, which meant that night. Still she got that familiar twinge she got whenever her mother was mentioned.

"It's your mother." Christopher whispered.

"Hi Grandma!" Rory chirped up in the background.

"Uh-huh." Christopher said, talking into the phone. "Well actually I'm sitting here with your girls." He paused, as Emily said something. "Sure."

He handed the phone to Lorelai. "She wants to speak to you."

Lorelai made a face, but took the phone. "Hi mom."

"Lorelai, Christopher and Christa are in town!" Emily announced.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mom, I am sitting here with them." 

"Well, I had this wonderful idea." Emily told her. "Christopher's grandparents are in town too. You remember Straub and Francine, don't you?"

Did she ever. Lorelai did not have a lot of fond memories of Christopher's parents and she still couldn't believe Christa had agreed to live with them, if only briefly.

"Yes, I remember them." Lorelai said quietly.

"Well I called them up and invited them to dinner." Emily informed her. "They said they are free to join us all tonight."

"Join us all?" Lorelai asked, slightly disturbed by the idea. Christopher's parents barely knew Rory, though they had a better relationship with Christa. It was something that annoyed Lorelai, that the Haydens pretended that there was only one child, and probably only then because they had to. 

"Yes. You, Rory, Christa, Christopher, your father." Emily told her. "Oh, I can't wait to see Christa again. I'm sure she's grown since Christmas."

"Just a little." Lorelai said with a smile, looking at her daughter.

"Won't this be nice?" Emily asked her. "All of us together again." 

"I'm sure it'll be great, Mom." Lorelai said, a huge pit growing in her stomach. In fact, she was positive it was going to be anything _but_ nice.

* * *

Rory found that she was the only person who actually thought dinner sounded like fun. Both of her parents were sort of freaking out and Christa seemed summarily unenthused.

"But you never get to see Grandma and Grandpa." Rory commented to her twin as they got ready for dinner.

"Which I'm sure is fine with Emily." Christa commented, as she brushed her hair. "You know I remind her too much of mom."

Rory paused, trying to deny it. The truth was, Emily spoke highly of Christa when she wasn't around, asking questions about her and always sounding excited to see her. But when she **did** visit, inevitably there were fireworks.

It was also true, that Christa did remind Emily of Lorelai, in all the worst ways, at least in Emily's eyes. She had that same rebelliousness.

"I wouldn't show her the tattoo." Rory said finally.

Christa shot her a look. "Ah, darn and here I was about to whip it out. Believe it or not, I don't mean to set Emily off."

"Why do you do that?" Rory asked quietly. "Refer to them as Emily and Richard?"

Christa shrugged. "I don't know. I call them Grandma and Grandpa to their faces, it just... It's how I think of them, by their first names."

Rory wondered about her sister, her total detachment from their grandparents. She shook her head, it was just another one of those ways that she and Christa were completely different.

* * *


	5. Part Five: The Gilmores

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Five: The Gilmores

"I've got to see my parents." Lorelai said what a sigh, standing in front of her parents house. 

"I've got to see my parents." Christopher said with a matching sigh.

Rory and Christa exchanged smiles, used to their parents' reaction to these kind of things.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the drama king and queen of Connecticut." Rory teased.

Lorelai shot her a look and opened the door with her key.

"Emily gave you a key?" Christa asked with a grin. "That's going to backfire."

Lorelai shot her a look, as well, knowing she was probably right. "Hello? Anybody home?"

"Oh, my God!" Emily said entering the hall. "You're here! Christa, look at you!"

"Hi, Grandma." Christa said, taking the hug her grandmother offered. 

Emily gave her a critical look. "What did you do to your hair?"

"Like it?" Christa asked, giving it a quick toss.

Emily just looked at her. "Is it permanent?" 

Lorelai shot Christa a sympathetic look, knowing what it was like to be in her shoes.

"Mom, Christopher." She said, stepping in to bail Christa out.

Emily turned to him with a smile. "Oh, yes, Christopher, look at you! You look fabulous!"

Christopher gave her a hug. "Emily, as always perfect."

"I am so glad to see you." She told him and then frowned. "I didn't even hear the doorbell."

"That's because we didn't ring the doorbell." Lorelai told her.

"You let yourselves in?" Emily asked with a frown.

"It's okay Mom, not a rapist among us." Lorelai said, rolling her eyes. Christa was right, this had been bound to backfire.

"Hi Grandma." Rory said, stepping into the fray.

"Hi, Rory." Emily said and then looked back at Christa. "Look how different you two look now, I remember when you guys were identical." 

"Well, we've grown up." Rory said awkwardly as Emily lead them into the living room.

"Well, here they are." Emily told Richard.

He stood up to greet them. 

"Hi Grandpa." Rory greeted.

"Hello, Rory. Lorelai." He greeted, then turned to Christa. "You're taller." He announced, looking at her.

"A little." She agreed, giving him a quick hug. "Hi Grandpa."

He looked at her, but didn't comment on her hair.

Lorelai noticed that Christa was getting that same look that she often got when she spent too much time with her parents. Maybe it was because Christa was too much like her in all the wrong ways, at least in her parents' eyes.

"Christopher old boy, how are you?" Richard asked turning his attention that way. "My gosh it's good to see you!"

"I get a 'Lorelai', Rory gets a 'hello' and you get a 'your taller', while your father gets welcomed with opened arms, isn't life grand?" Lorelai whispered in Christa's ear.

Her daughter giggled, earning a glare from Emily. Rory just shot them a pointed look.

Lorelai smiled, Rory was definitely her good child, while Christa was just like her. 

"How are you Richard?" Christopher asked, accepting the hand shake.

"Well I'm better than most, not as good as some." Richard answered.

"And annoyed with all." Christopher finished with a laugh.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. It never amazed her how her father seemed to think Christopher could do no wrong and it always kind of annoyed her.

The four of them walked over to the couch and crowded onto it, the girls in between Lorelai and Christopher.

"So Christopher, tell me about your business." Richard instructed, handing Lorelai and Christopher both martinis.

Lorelai saw Christopher gulp and wondered how he was going to handle it. Probably not with the truth, if experience had taught her anything.

"It's uh--it's going great Richard." He said after a moment. "I'm almost afraid to jinx it by telling you how good it's going."

Lorelai poured back her martini, exchanging a look with Christa.

"Oh, that is wonderful." Richard told him. "I always knew you had it in you. You have a splash of greatness as my mother would say. You've always had that splash of greatness."

"Mm." Lorelai muttered. "I'd like another splash of greatness if you don't mind." She stood up to get another martini.

"Can I have one?" Christa whispered when she sat back down.

"Sorry, kid, you have to wait another five years." Lorelai said with a smile.

Christa just made a face at her.

"What are you two whispering about?" Emily inquired, giving them a look. 

"Nothing Mom, just mother/daughter stuff." Lorelai answered. "Christa's going to be living in Connecticut for a while. Did you know that?"

Christopher looked at her and she grinned at how uncomfortable he looked.

"No, I didn't." Richard answered. "Are you moving this way, Christopher?"

"No, no, nothing like that." Christopher told him. "Christa was just feeling a little homesick, so she'll be staying with my parents for a few months." 

"She could have stayed here." Emily told him. 

"Well, my parents offered." Christopher told her. Just then the doorbell rang.

"That would be Straub and Francine." Emily said, getting up to get the door, Richard following her.

Lorelai looked over at Christopher. "Ha, ha, your turn."

She leaned back in her seat and awaited act two of this night, introducing Haydens. Oh, this was going to be fun, she was sure.

* * *


	6. Part Six: The Haydens

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Six: The Haydens

"This is weird." Rory announced as they waited for the two sets of parents to come in. "These are my other grandparents, but I barely know them. What do I call them?"

"Call 'em what I do--ass-" Christopher began.

"Chris..." Lorelai said warningly.

Christa giggled. "I call them Grandfather and Grandmother." She told her twin. "To their face at least."

"Just call them Straub and Francine." Lorelai instructed, then frowned. "Call them Mr. and Mrs. Hayden. Sir and Ma'am? You know what, just avoid calling them anything."

Rory frowned. She wasn't supposed to call her grandparents anything? Yet, they weren't like grandparents, she'd only met them a few times. She thought it was weird that she didn't know them, Christa knew them. Christa didn't like them, but she knew them, where as Rory didn't. 

"Look who's here." Richard said, leading in a couple who Rory recognized from photos.

"Hello Mother, Pop." Christopher said standing and kissing Francine's cheek. 

"Christopher." Straub acknowledged.

"Christopher, hello." Francine greeted, straightening his jacket.

Christa stood up as well. "Grandmother, Grandfather." She gave Francine a hug.

"Christine." Straub acknowledged. 

"Your hair darling, it's quite interesting." Francine said.

Lorelai stood up then. "Mr. and Mrs. Hayden, long time no see."

"Lorelai." Francine greeted. "You look well."

Rory wondered if people could die from too much politeness.

"I am thanks." Lorelai told her. "You remember Rory. You haven't seen her in quite a while."

"No, we haven't." Straub agreed, giving Rory an appraising look. "At least you have the sense not to do strange things with your hair."

Rory exchanged a look with Christa. "Um, no sir, I mean Mr., I mean no." Rory could see that her parents and Christa all looked amused at her reaction. She sat down again, looking flustered.

"So Christine, we have your room all ready for you." Francine told her. "We've also registered you in school, I believe your sister goes to Chilton, is that correct?"

"Ah, yes it is." Lorelai told her.

"That's where we've registered you." Francine told Christa.

Rory smiled at her sister. "That'll be nice, us going to school together."

"Yeah." Christa agreed. "Thanks Grandmother."

"Straub, Francine would you like a martini?" Emily asked with a smile. 

"Please." Straub replied.

"We're very pleased about Christopher's business success out in California." Richard told Straub and Francine.

"Here we go." Christa whispered in Rory's ear. She just shrugged and sat down, glad the focus was off of her.

"Yes," Straub said, "it's taken a while, but it seems to be finally coming together. Seems to be."

Christopher started fiddling with his tie. 

"Christopher your tie, please." Francine scolded. 

He looked pained. Rory was kind of wondering how she had ever thought this night might be even slightly fun.

"Straub and Fran-" She began and then cleared her throat. "Mr. and Mrs. um... are you enjoying being back in Connecticut, um...you...two?"

"That she got from you." She heard her father whisper to her mother.

"You're 16, correct?" Straub asked of her.

"Yes." She answered. "Same age as Christa."

"That's a dangerous age for girls." He told her.

Rory saw her mother shoot him a look. She had a feeling this was heading towards dangerous territory.

"Straub." Francine told him. "We know that Christine is a delight and Rory is probably the same."

"She's a very special child." Emily said, jumping in. "Excellent student, very bright."

"You should have a talk with her Straub, she could give you a run for your money." Richard told him.

"Is that so?" Straub asked, looking pointedly at Rory.

She shifted uncomfortably. 

"That's right." Emily said proudly.

Straub looked right at her and Rory looked away uncomfortably, not at all sure what to say.

"Well, I think my money's safe." Straub drawled after a minute. "At least her sister can talk, for all that she has that awful hair and God knows what else." 

Rory could see that it was Christa's turn to look uncomfortable. This really was the dinner from Hell, or at least that's what it was feeling like.

"I hate President Bush." Lorelai said suddenly.

Rory turned to look at her mother. What was she doing?

"What?" Straub asked, looking at her. His attention distracted away from the twins, which Rory thought was probably the point, you could never fault Lorelai's protective instincts.

"Lorelai..." Emily said warningly.

"Oh, boy." Christopher muttered, bowing his head.

"This should be fun." Christa whispered. "Go Mom."

"He's stupid and his face is too tiny for his head and I just want to toss him out." Lorelai continued.

"That is the leader of our country, young lady." Straub said, giving Lorelai a pointed glare.

"Ignore her." Richard instructed.

"His face is too tiny for his head, what kind of thing is that to say?" Francine wondered. 

Rory was starting to wish she was anywhere but there, whereas Christa looked amused by the whole thing. Just another one of the many differences between them, Rory supposed.

"I see your daughter is just as out of control as ever." Straub told Emily and Richard, giving Lorelai a disdainful gaze.

Rory decided that grandparent or not, she really didn't like him. No wonder, Christa referred to him by his first name.

"Pop please." Christopher interceded. "Let's try and keep it civil."

"Tell me Lorelai, what have you been doing with your life anyway, besides hating successful businessmen." Straub asked her. "I'm just curious."

"Why don't we all go into the dining room?" Emily asked, trying to break up the bloodshed. Rory had a feeling it was too late.

"Well, uh, Straub, I run an inn near Stars Hollow." Lorelai answered pertly.

"Really?" Straub asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Yes, really."

"Dad, come on." Christopher said, fiddling with his tie again. Rory got the impression that he really wanted to rip that thing off and just throw it away.

"Nice to see you found your calling." Straub said and Rory could hear the disdain in her voice. She found herself wondering how Christa was going to survive living with that man, even for a few mere months.

"Dinner is ready." Emily said, obviously still trying to break things up.

"Christopher your tie." Francine scolded.

"Mom, please." Christopher said, looking more and more uncomfortable by the minute. 

"And is your life everything you hoped it would be?" Straub inquired pointedly.

"Yes, it is." Lorelai answered promptly. "Because it seems to me you might not want to take such a haughty tone when you announce to the world that you work in a hotel." Straub told her.

Rory decided she had gone from dislike to hatred.

"Well there's nothing wrong with where I work." Lorelai told him.

Rory distinctly felt that this was just going to get even more ugly and that it had nothing to do with professions or political beliefs. It was really all about a bigger issue--her and Christa.

"Straub, please." Francine pleaded. "I'm getting a headache." 

Rory could feel one of those coming on herself. This was not a pleasant night. She just wanted to disappear into the couch. She looked and saw that her father looked just as uncomfortable, her mother looked rebellious and Christa looked mildly amused, but then that was Christa.

"Come on Richard, lead us into the dining room, now." Emily ordered desperately.

"If you had attended a university as your parents had planned and as we planned in vain for Christopher, you might have aspired to something more than a blue collared position." Straub informed her, making sweeping hand gestures.

Rory knew that they were fast approaching that subject, the one that didn't get mentioned without their being a lot of raised voices and she doubted that any good could possibly come out of it. No, things were about to get a lot worse, she'd bet.

"Don't do this." Christopher pleaded.

"And I wouldn't give a damn about you derailing your life if you hadn't swept my son along with you." Straub continued, ignoring Christopher.

Lorelai turned to Rory and Christa. "You two go into the next room."

The two girls rose.

"Go, go." Their mother instructed. 

Rory and Christa hurried into the kitchen, the angry voices following them.

Rory hated the fact that her very existance, Christa's too, meant that the two groups couldn't even share a civil meal. It was just so stupid.

* * *


	7. Part Seven: Aftermath

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Seven: Aftermath

Christa sat in the kitchen with Rory, still able to hear every word her grandparents and parents were saying out there.

"It's not about us." She told Rory softly. "It's about them and their plans and the fact is, think about our parents, if they were anything like me, and they both say they were, then we were just a result, not the cause. They would have done their own thing anyway."

She wasn't sure that true, but it sounded better than admitting that she and her sister had screwed up everyone's lives.

She winced as Straub's voice carried. "Our son was bound for Princeton. Every Hayden male attended Princeton including myself, but it all stopped with Christopher. It's a humiliation we've had to live with every day, all because she seduced him into ruining his life. She had those babies and ended his future."

Christa winced and turned to Rory. "Well, maybe we should be thankful that we ended up with our parents instead of..."

"Yeah." Rory said weakly as the yelling continued. "You know at least they acknowledge you." Rory commented.

"Because they have to." Christa told her, having no illusions otherwise. "I live with Dad, so they acknowledge me."

The yelling continued and then Christa heard the slamming of doors.

"I think it's over." She told her twin quietly.

"Yeah." Rory said softly. "You're really going to live with those people?"

"Yeah." Christa said with a sigh. "It's gonna be fun, huh? But it's only for a few months and at least you and Mom'll be nearby."

She wasn't at all certain about living with the Haydens, but she hadn't really had a choice. Besides, at least it meant being back on the East Coast and being near her mother and sister.

That was a plus, at least.

* * *

After that wonderful display with Haydens and another scene with her father, Lorelai found herself out on her old balcony. It was where she always hid after a scene with her parents or during some boring function.

She wasn't surprised when Christopher joined her on the balcony.

"That was..." He began. "That was a memorable evening." 

Lorelai looked at him. "Oh, yes, it was beautiful in there. We should commemorate it with an oil painting or a severed head or something."

"Next time we get this group together we're gonna have to frisk for weapons." Christopher joked.

"Hand out gags." Lorelai added.

"Employ six individual cones of silence." Christopher suggested. 

Lorelai laughed.

"Boy, the old balcony is still the same, isn't it?" Christopher asked her, looking around. 

"In all it's beautiful away-from-them-ness." Lorelai agreed, remembering all the times they'd come out there too hide.

"Perfect hide-out --totally private. We spent a lot of time out here." Christopher reminisced.

"Sneaking Dad's telescope, scanning the sky for alien ships." Lorelai remembered with a fond smile.

"Never found any." Christopher pointed out.

"Huh, imagine that." Lorelai said with a slight laugh. "And then when we older, scanning the neighbours houses for naked people."

Christopher laughed. "Found a couple of those."

Lorelai joined him in the laughter, mainly because it felt good to be focusing on something other than that scene in there.

"Mrs. Dominski undulating in her big fat underalls is forever carved into my brain." Lorelai said with a smile.

Christopher laughed again. "And in mine."

He pulled a tequila bottle out of his jacket. Lorelai had to laugh, that was just like the old days.

"Here's to Mrs. Dominski's underalls." Christopher toasted.

"Aw, you're holding out on me." Lorelai complained.

Christopher took a swig and then handed it to her. "And in an effort to further chronicle this balcony's history, we are now in the immediate vicinity of the spot upon which was Rory and Christa's initial emination."

"Yes, we are." Lorelai said, remembering her. "Here's to Rory and Christa."

She took a swig of the tequila, thinking about her beautiful girls. Rory probably wouldn't approve this scene if she were to come upon it, Christa would probably steal the bottle of tequila.

"The bright spots in all the darkness." Chris said softly.

"And how." Lorelai agreed.

Christopher looked at her. "You know, even if you hadn't gotten pregnant and I hadn't ended up with Christa and everything had gone as planned, I still never would have made it through Princeton."

"Oh, I don't believe that." Lorelai said softly.

Christopher laughed lightly. "Yeah, well, that's why you're you and I'm not."

He stepped towards and shot her a look and the next thing Lorelai knew they were in each other's arms, kissing deeply and he was pushing her down onto the balcony.

_Some things never change. _She thought fondly, before getting completely wrapped up in the kiss.

* * *

Rory and Christa were still in the kitchen, drinking soda, when Emily entered. "There you two are, I was wondering were you went."

"I'm sorry." Rory said standing up.

"No, it's nothing to be sorry about." Emily told her. "Can I get either of you anything?"

"We're fine." They said in unison. 

"That's hardly dinner." Emily said, with a dismissing look at their cans of soda. She opened the fridge. "Well, that was quite a bit of excitement tonight."

"We heard." Christa popped up.

"Not the good kind." Emily continued, taking a few containers out of the fridge.

"Nope." Rory said softly.

Emily turned and looked at them both. "None of this means anything."

"Oh, I know." Rory said.

Christa nodded.

Emily sighed. "Straub is actually a good man." She told them. "Very smart. He was one of the top lawyers in his field - a very arcane aspect of International law. And he's always been so active in his community. His charity work has never diminished over the years. Oh let's face it - he's a big ass."

The twins both laughed at that. 

"Rory, Christa, I know you two heard a lot of talk about various disappointments this evening and I know you've heard a lot of talk about it in the past." Emily said, looking at them both, as she served them up a plate of food. "But I want to make this very clear--neither of you, your persons and your existences have ever been--not even for a second--included in that list. Do you two understand me?"

"I do." Rory said.

Christa nodded. "Me too."

Rory knew that was a more difficult concept for her twin to grasp than her, as odd as it might sound since Christa had been the reassuring her, but Rory knew that Christa always felt like she was a disappointment to Emily, so this was big for her.

Emily smiled as she handed them each a plate. "Good, now eat up, both of you." She looked at Christa. "And please, tell me you're going to do something about that hair of yours before you start Chilton."

* * *


	8. Part Eight: Reassurances

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Eight: Reassurances

The car ride home was a quiet one, no one feeling in the mood to talk. Once they got back to the house, Christopher excused himself right away and left Lorelai in the kitchen with her girls.

She looked at them and smiled, though she was already regretting her encounter with Christopher early that evening, she knew she couldn't regret the past encounters. Not when it had brought her the two most precious people in her life, her beautiful baby girls.

"We haven't really had a chance to talk." She began, looking at them both.

"About wherever you and Dad were when you were nowhere?" Christa asked with a grin.

"No." Lorelai told her flatly. "About all the warm and fuzzy family moments that went on tonight. Are you guys ok?"

"Yeah." Rory answered.

Christa nodded. "Yeah."

"You know all those crazy people saying those horrible things were directing them at me not you two." Lorelai continued, wanting to make sure the girls knew that it wasn't about them.

"They were directing them to you because you had us." Rory pointed out quietly.

"No." Lorelai denied. "They were directing them at me because I screwed up their big 'Citizen Kane' plans. That's all."

And it was true, the Haydens, her parents were still so caught up on what might have been, what should have been, instead of what was.

"It's not fair." Rory said quietly. "They know Christa, but they don't even want to know me, do they?"

"They know me because they have too." Christa told her twin before Lorelai could speak up. "I live with Dad, so I'm harder to write off, besides I think Straub kind of sees me as his clean slate. With weird hair, of course."

"They're very stupid people." Lorelai piped up. "If they weren't, they'd want to get to know you and they'd see Christa as more than an extension of their plans for Christopher, but they don't, because they're stupid." 

"That's for sure." Christa murmured.

Rory stood up. "I'm going to bed now."

"Hey." Lorelai told her. "No regrets--from me or your dad and that goes to both of you."

"Yeah?" Rory asked softly. 

"Oh, I mean no regrets about you." Lorelai told her. "There's a misspelled tattoo incident that I'm sure he'd like to erase from his bio--but you that's a no brainier." 

"Dad has a misspelled tattoo?" Christa asked curiously. "Where?"

"Ah, ah, another story for another time." Lorelai said with a grin. "Possibly before your first trip to Mazatlan."

She leaned over and kissed Rory on the head and then did the same for Christa. "Good night you two."

"Goodnight, Mom." Rory told her. 

"Night." Christa echoed and then they disappeared into Rory's room.

Lorelai watched them go, thinking about the fact that, no matter how many mistakes they made, she and Christopher definitely did good in the kids department.

* * *

"That was Hellish." Rory commented to Christa as they got ready for bed. 

"Oh, yes." Christa agreed with a slight smile. "Very Hellish." She looked at her twin. "We come from a very complicated family."

"Yeah." Rory said softly. "I just..."

"I know." Christa said, wrapping her arm around her sister's shoulders. "Now come on, let's forget about it. Tell me all about Chilton. What do I need to know?"

"Well, I've told you about Paris, right?" Rory asked her.

"Crazy girl, right?" Christa said, making a face.

"That's her. She's not always bad, just usually." Rory said. "She'll probably hate you on principle, being my sister and all that."

Christa shrugged. "I have no problem being hated."

It was true. She switched schools a fair bit, all snobby private types since Straub and Francine paid for her tuition, which meant she was used to starting over. Sometimes, she did okay, other times, well, she always reassured herself it was only temporary.

"Who else?" She asked Rory after a moment.

"Well, there's Madeline and Louise, they tend to follow along with whatever Paris does." Rory told her. "Though, they might like you."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Christa asked with a slight laugh.

"I'm not sure." Rory said. "You'll have to meet them."

"Ok." Christa said with a smile. "What about that guy? The one who bugs you?" 

"Tristan." Rory said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not sure, he might try to bug you too."

"That'd be interesting." Christa said with a smile. "Is he cute?" 

"Tristan?" Rory said, making a face. "Most people think so. I don't."

"Really?" Christa asked teasingly.

"Really." Rory confirmed. "He's a jerk."

"The two aren't mutually exclusive." Christa commented.

"To me they are." Rory assured her.

Christa smiled. "Ah, yes, my sweet little sister, but then again, that's probably why you have Dean, who is very sweet indeed."

"Yes, he is." Rory agreed happily. "Oh, this means you'll get to know him better!" She looked at her sister. "I'm so glad you're going to be around more." 

She was, it would be great to be able to do real sister things with Christa. She was definitely looking forward to it.

* * *


	9. Part Nine: Partings

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Nine: Partings

Lorelai watched as Christopher and Christa prepared to leave.

Well, Christopher was leaving, he was dropping Christa off at his parents place before he went.

It had been an interesting morning, with Christopher proposing to her and all. Lorelai had turned him down, of course, because well, it wasn't right. A part of her wanted it to be, wanted to believe that the four of them could be that perfect, happy family, but she knew it wasn't happening, not then anyway.

However, though she didn't want to marry him, or rather knew it wasn't even a really option, she still found it hard to say good-bye to him once more. A part of her was never going to like watching Chris drive away once more, but the rest of her accepted that it was what he had to do and that he couldn't stay until he found himself and grew up.

"So call us when you get home." Rory instructed now, as Christopher loaded up his bike.

"I will." Christopher promised. 

"You call us from the Haydens." Lorelai told Christa. "Let us know you're settled in."

"Ok." Christa agreed and she smiled at Rory. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

"Yeah." Rory said happily.

Lorelai knew how excited Rory was about going to school with Christa and she actually felt a tiny shred of gratitude towards the Haydens for arranging it. A tiny bit that didn't wipe out all her loathing. 

Christopher leaned in and hugged Rory. "See ya." He whispered something in her ear.

"Dad wants to know if you'll reconsider?" Rory said turning to her.

Lorelai smiled and whispered in Christa's ear.

Christa smiled at her father. "She says 'Nope. Offspring sucks and Metallica rules.'" 

"Fair enough." Christopher said, coming over to give Lorelai a quick hug and kiss. "Come on Kiddo." 

Christa gave her a mother and sister each a hug and then climbed on the back of the motorcycle.

"Drive safe." Lorelai told them as they took off.

She watched them go sadly. She knew it would be a bad idea to marry Chris, but that didn't mean it was easy watching him always drive off, especially since he took Christa with him.

"He wanted you to marry him, didn't he?" Rory asked after a moment.

"Spy." Lorelai accused teasingly.

"You know, crazier things have happened." Rory told her.

"You mean crazier than having your mom and dad married?" Lorelai asked, not really wanting to get into this with Rory.

The truth was she knew that a part of Rory, and probably Christa, clung to the idea that one day they'd all be a happy family. It was a great idea and Lorelai hated to burst the bubble, but dreams and reality...

"Yes." Rory told her.

"I don't think they have." Lorelai said gently.

"What?" Rory asked. "Why is that so crazy?"

"Because it is." Lorelai told her. "Because he wants things he is not ready for."

It was the truth. Sure, Christopher did a pretty good job raising Christa, but Christa was a different child than Rory and that didn't mean he was ready to be a family man. His set-up with Christa was far from ideal and it wouldn't work for her and Rory.

"How do you know?" Rory asked stubbornly.

"I know." Lorelai told her. "I know him _so_ well. You have no idea." 

It was true, she knew Christopher better than anyone else and she understood that deep down, he had never really grown up. Even raising Christa hadn't made him grow up, because he had his parents to bail him out.

"Maybe he can change." Rory said optimistically.

"Rory." Lorelai said quietly, shaking her head.

"Maybe it's different." Rory pleaded. "He did come here this time, instead of just sent Christa. He's never done that before."

"Hey, stop." Lorelai said gently. "Why?"

"Because, I don't want you to get yourself all worked up over this." She said quietly. She wished there was an easier way to explain this situation.

"He loves you." Rory said quietly.

"He does love me." Lorelai agreed softly.

"Do you love him?" Rory asked. Lorelai sighed.

It was a complicated question. If asked did she love Christopher when she was sixteen? Then it was an easy yes. Did she love the memory of that Christopher? Again, an easy yes. Did she love him now, as adults? Not such an easy answer.

"Honey, come on." Lorelai said, not wanting to try and explain it.

"Answer me." Rory demanded. 

"Honestly?" Lorelai asked her.

"Yes." Rory stated calmly.

"I will probably always love him." Lorelai told her after a moment, simplifying it. She did love Christopher, always would, but she just wasn't sure how much of that was memory or how much of it was real emotion.

"Ok, so?" Rory asked innocently.

Lorelai sighed. "Rory, loving him doesn't change the fact that he's not ready for us. I mean you are a handful missy. And while I am pure joy and sunshine every waking hour, I still have my own set of needs that must be met. It just wasn't right babe. You have to trust me on that." She told her softly. "Then there's Christa and they have their thing and it's different than ours and I know you'd love all of us to be a family, I just don't think your dad's ready. Come on, Rory, your sister has to live with the Haydens, for a while, I mean..."

"At least she'll be in Connecticut." Rory said quietly. "I guess, I just, it was so nice having all four of us be together." 

"It was." Lorelai agreed, putting her arm around Rory's shoulders. "And maybe one day, it'll happen, just not right now. Okay?"

Rory nodded sadly. "Okay." 

Lorelai knew that her daughter didn't really understand, but then she wasn't sure she did either, after all with Christopher it was never anything but complicated.

* * *

Christopher dropped Christa off at his parents place and then got ready to leave after about half an hour. Christa had the feeling that Straub and Francine were driving him nuts, nothing new.

"So, I'll ship your stuff." Christopher promised her.

"Thanks." Christa told him. "But only some of it, I don't--"

"I know." Christopher told her, cutting her off. "This is only temporary, kiddo, just until the end of the school year." 

"Ok." Christa said, then made a face. "I don't know how I'm going to survive until then--I feel like I can't do anything right."

Christopher gave a slight, bitter laugh. "I know how that feels." He looked at Christa. "Do you hate this kid, because you don't have to, I mean, we can--" 

"It's fine." She told him, knowing that it was only temporary. "It's only a few months, I'll survive, which I'm not sure I would living with Richard and Emily."

The sad part was, Straub and Francine were the grandparents she preferred. They were the ones she knew better and as hard as it was to believe, they were the less harsh pair.

Her mother's parents thought she was too much like her mother in all the wrong ways and they, especially Emily, were just waiting for her to repeat Lorelai's mistakes.

Also, they always compared her to Rory and she always came up lacking, because well in a lot of ways, Rory was the better twin, Christa knew that. Yet, she never felt lacking with anyone else, her mom, her dad, or anyone else who knew them both. Only Emily and Richard.

"There's always your mom." Christopher said softly.

Christa shook her head. "No, this is fine."

She didn't want to explain her reasons for not wanting to go live with Lorelai, didn't want to admit that she would have preferred to live with her mother and that if she moved in there, she didn't think she'd want to leave. Not when she knew that Christopher needed her, had always needed her.

Christa looked at her dad. "You asked her to marry you, didn't you?" 

Christopher smiled at her. "Never can hide anything from you, huh?"

"No, you can't." Christa said with a smile. "She said no, huh?"

It didn't surprise her, in fact if she had been Lorelai, she'd probably have said no too. Still, some part of Christa still wanted the happy ending, to see her parents married and them all become one big, happy family. Yet, she was practical to know that it probably wasn't going to happen, at least not then.

"She said no." Christopher confirmed.

Christa just nodded. "I love you, Dad." She said softly.

"Love you too, kiddo." Christopher said, then he put his hand under his chin. "Listen, I know I've screwed up a lot of times, with business, with your mom and Rory, even with you, but then I look at you and I feel I can be that much of a failure, because I managed to raise a pretty good kid."

"Yeah, you did." Christa said with a smile. "You've been pretty good, Dad."

"You're the best thing I've ever done, you know that right?" Christopher asked her. "You and Rory... I just can't believe I was part of something as amazing as the two of you."

Christa leaned in and gave him a hug. Christopher had his faults and had made his share of mistakes as a parent, mostly with Rory, but he was still her father and they still had a very close bond.

"I'll call you every day." Christopher promised her.

"Okay." Christa said, knowing that she'd end up calling him most of the time, but that was okay.

"I guess, I should go." Christopher said after a moment. "You'll be okay?"

"I'll be okay." Christa promised.

Christopher nodded, gave her another hug and then got on his bike.

Christa watched him drive away, realizing for the first time just how much she was going to miss him...

* * *


	10. Part Ten: Chilton

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Ten: Chilton

Christa entered the classroom.

It was her first day at Chilton. Francine had just dropped her off, after meeting with Headmaster Charleston.

Christa wondered again how she was going to survive living with her grandparents, they were just so... Francine had informed her that they were going shopping for "suitable clothes" after school and maybe they could "do something about her hair while they were at it".

Christa sighed and fiddled with said hair. She liked how she looked, it was her thing, though it didn't surprise her that her grandmother objected. It was too bad they ignored Rory, she fit their qualifications there.

Christa looked down at her uniform, did these things ever not suck? She doubted it. Oh, well, at least at this school she had Rory and that was a plus.

Besides, she figured she'd have her mom hem the skirt for her, since Francine had provided it and it was too long for Christa's tastes--she was the push the limits type and a skirt that fell at her knees was not that. Almost every girl here had a shorter skirt than her.

"Hey, look what happened to you." A blonde boy drawled as Christa entered the classroom.

She shot him a look. "Excuse me?"

He paused and then blinked. "You're not Rory."

"No." She said with a smile, deciding not to let him in on the fact that she was Rory's twin. Not yet, at least. "I'm Christa Hayden and I'm new here."

The boy smiled slightly. "Yes, you are. I'm Tristan DuGrey."

So this was Tristan. Interesting.

"Should that mean something to me?" Christa asked in a bored tone.

"What's with the trailer park look?" An imperious looking blonde asked coming up to her.

"Excuse me?" Christa asked, glaring at the bitch. "Should I know you?"

The girl looked disconcerted. "I thought you were someone else."

"Apparently."

"Paris, this is Christa Hayden, she's new here." Tristan introduced.

Paris, so the plot grew thicker.

Paris didn't look impressed. "Chilton's a difficult school."

"I'm aware of that." Christa told her. "That's why my grandparents chose it."

She wondered when she'd see her sister, soon she hoped, because this was not a fun crowd, though they were entertaining.

"I'm sorry, you just don't look like you cut it." Paris said, not sounding sorry at all.

"Well, I assure you, Rome, is it? that I can cut it." Christa asked mockingly.

Paris' companions, a brunette and a blonde, giggled before she sent them a death glare.

"I'll say." Tristan told her, giving her an appreciative look. "And just so you know, if you need anything, just ask me. I can show you the ropes."

"I'm usually pretty good at looking after myself." Christa told him flatly. "Though, I'll keep that under advisement."

Where was Rory? She was missing out on all the fun.

* * *

Rory walked into her first class and saw that Christa was there and that she also had an audience, mainly Paris and Tristan. 

"Mary, what do you think of your double?" Tristan asked her. "It's like having a more fun version of you."

Rory just ignored him.

"The resemblance is uncanny." Paris commented. "It's like she's your long-lost evil twin."

Rory and Christa both giggled at that.

"What's so funny?" Paris demanded.

"Paris, Christa _is_ my twin." Rory said with a smile. "Though, not long-lost or evil, at least not as far as I know."

"But her name is Hayden." Madeline said, sounding confused. "Yours isn't, right?"

"No, it isn't, you ninny." Paris told her. "What is this, some joke?"

"No joke." Christa answered with a smile. "Rory and I are twins, always have been."

Tristan looked intrigued, while Paris just looked irritated. "So, your name's not Hayden?" She demanded. "You just thought it would be funny to mislead us?"

"No, it is." Christa answered. "I'm Christine Marie Gilmore Hayden, daughter of Christopher Hayden and Lorelai Gilmore, twin sister to Lorelai Leigh Gilmore Hayden. I just don't use the Gilmore and Rory doesn't use the Hayden."

Christa turned to Rory. "Hey, sis."

"Hey." Rory greeted with a smile. "Welcome to Chilton."

"Twins." Tristan said, giving them a considering look. "Well that has possibilities. Mary and Magdelene."

"Oh, that's clever." Christa said with a laugh. "Are all the boys here as witty as you?"

Before Tristan could respond, the teacher entered, signalling class was about to start and everyone took their seat.

Rory was smiling as she did so.

Christa at Chilton... Well, school was definitely going to be a lot more fun, that was for sure.

* * *


	11. Part Eleven: Gifts

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Eleven: Gifts

Francine picked Christa up after her first day, which had been pretty good. After all, school was school and at least this one had Rory. It was then onto several hours of shopping while Francine bought Christa a "suitable" wardrobe.

Just like she had feared, she and her grandmother had radically different ideas about appropriate clothes, which meant Christa now had a wardrobe full of expensive, boring clothes. Clothes that she'd never wear once she left Connecticut.

Francine had also tried to direct her to a salon where "they can do wonderful things with your hair, darling", but other than that, it wasn't that bad an afternoon, though certainly not Christa's ideal way of killing time. 

"Thank you, Grandmother." She said anyway, once they returned home, always the dutiful young lady.

Francine bestowed a smile on her. "No problem Christine, it was my pleasure to buy you some suitable clothes." Francine reached into her purse. "Your grandfather and I wan you to be as comfortable here as possible, so hopefully this will help." She handed Christa a set of keys.

Christa took them. "What are these?"

"The keys for your new car." Francine told her with a smile. "We thought you'd like to be able to get around on your own."

"Cool!" Christa exclaimed and gave Francine an impulsive hug. "Thanks, Grandmother."

She smiled to herself, wondering if it would be so bad after all living with her grandparents. There was some definite advantage, to say the least.

"Go take it out." Francine encouraged her. "We wanted to give it to you as a birthday present, but your father discouraged that, but we figured you could use it now."

"Thanks!" Christa said again, wondering why her father objected to her grandparents giving her a car. She figured it was just his issues with his parents coming up again.

"Drive carefully." Francine told her. "I'd hate to see you repeat Christopher's mistakes."

Christa remembered the Porsche story with a smile. However, she wasn't that stupid.

"I will." She promised. "I'm just gonna go--"

"It's in the garage." Francine told her. "Have fun."

"I will." Christa promised and quickly hurried toward the garage and her new car. These next few months might be fun after all.

* * *

Lorelai heard a car pull into her driveway.

"I wonder who that is." She said to Rory, who shrugged.

A moment later Lorelai heard the front door open. "Mom? Rory?"

"In here!" Lorelai called out with a smile and a second later Christa appeared in the doorway. Lorelai decided she could definitely get used to having Christa be able to just pop in to visit whenever she felt like it.

"So how was Chilton?" Lorelai asked, giving her daughter a hug.

Christa shrugged. "Like every other snotty school. It was okay." She looked at Rory. "Did you tell her about Tristan's brilliance?"

Rory giggled. 

Lorelai looked at them both. "No. Share with Mommy." 

"Tristan has decided that it's clever to call us 'Mary' and 'Magdelene'." Rory said with a laugh.

Lorelai had to laugh as well. "Witty." She looked at Christa. "Not that I don't love seeing you, but I figure that's not the only reason you came out here."

"No." Christa said with a smile and handed her a bag. "I need these hemmed. Francine and I have a different opinion on appropriate skirt length."

Lorelai laughed. "I could see that." She took the bag containing three neatly folded Chilton skirts. "Honey, I can't do them all tonight." She told her, knowing she probably wouldn't even have time to hem one before Christa had to leave.

"Oh, I don't expect you to." Christa said. "I kept the one I wore today, put it in the wash, and I kept one to wear tomorrow." 

"How many do you have?" Rory asked curiously. 

"Francine bought me five complete outfits and a bunch of extras." Christa told her with a shrug. "She likes to shop."

"I see." Lorelai said, thinking that Francine was just like her mother. She'd had to convince Emily not to go overboard with Rory, unfortunately she didn't have that right with Christa.

"That's the other reason, I'm here." Christa said. "Come see what Straub and Francine gave me." 

Lorelai wasn't sure she wanted to, but she and Rory followed Christa out of the house into the driveway where a shiny blue sports car sat.

"Is that yours?" Rory asked in awe. 

Christa nodded. "Yeah. It'll help me get around more easily and save you from having to ride the nasty bus, at least in the afternoons. 'Cause I'm not much of a morning person, but I will drive you home every day."

"It's very nice." Lorelai told her. "Kind of extravagant though."

Of course, it was from the same people who had given Christopher a Porsche on his sixteenth birthday, so maybe it was to be expected. 

Christa shrugged. "It's better than all the awful clothes Francine bought me."

Lorelai wasn't sure to say, though she definitely planned on calling Christopher. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of the Haydens lavishing stuff on Christa, especially since she knew that there would be strings, after all there usually was.

"She bought you clothes?" Lorelai asked in a calm voice.

"Yeah, well, most of my stuff is in California." Christa replied. "It's not like it fit on the back of the bike."

Lorelai knew that she had a point, but she was still wary of anything to do with the Haydens. However, she also didn't want to burst the bubble of Christa's happiness.

"It's a great car, kiddo." She said after a moment. "Why don't we take it out for a spin?"

* * *

Rory couldn't help feeling envious.

The Haydens barely bothered to acknowledge _her_ existence, yet they went and bought Christa a car. Now, Rory knew that her grandparents, the ones who liked her, would have been happy to buy her a car if Lorelai would let them, but that still didn't stop the momentary resentment.

It wasn't the car so much, as much as the fact that the Haydens acknowledged Christa, but not her. She knew that she shouldn't envy Christa their attention, since they weren't worth it and Christa was the one that had to live with them, but...

Well, some part of her wondered why Christa was good enough when she wasn't. She supposed it was natural. 

"Whatcha you thinking?" Lorelai asked after Christa left.

"I was just wondering why they acknowledge her and not me." Rory admitted. "I know I shouldn't, but--" 

"Oh, hon, it's natural." Lorelai told her. "I think it's a lot of things. They're angry at me, so they ignore you. They can't ignore Christa, so instead they use her to make up for everything your dad wasn't, just like my parents do with you. It's a twisted cycle."

"I know." Rory said softly. 

"But it's not always easy to remember, huh?" Lorelai asked her.

"No." Rory admitted, then smiled. "Still, it's nice that Christa has a car now." 

"That's the spirit." Lorelai told her with a grin. "Make your sister be your chauffeur."

* * *


	12. Part Twelve: Bargains

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Twelve: Bargains

Two weeks passed without issue.

Christa felt herself adjusting to life at Chilton and at the Hayden residence. Her grandparents still weren't her favourite people, but life with them wasn't _that_ bad. She knew it could be a lot worse. Besides, she got to see her mom and Rory on practically a daily basis.

"Hey Magdelene," Tristan drawled coming up to her locker at the end of the day.

Christa rolled her eyes. "Hey Tristan."

In the two weeks she'd been at Chilton, she'd seen a lot of Tristan DuGrey. She could see why Rory thought he was obnoxious, since he enjoyed teasing them both, but Christa thought he was totally hot. Or maybe, she was just attracted to a different kind of guy than her oh-so sweet sister. 

Tristan leaned up against her locker. "You going to Madeline's party on Saturday?"

Christa shrugged. "I haven't decided. Depends what comes up."

She and Rory had both been invited, though Christa knew there was no way her sister wold be going, but she probably would. After all, she liked parties and rich kid parties were usually the best kind.

"You'll be there." Tristan said confidently. "Bring Mary with you." 

Christa laughed. "My sister will never be interested in you."

"Who said I was interested in her?" Tristan said, giving her a look. "Maybe I prefer spice over sugar."

Christa just shot him a look. "Keep telling yourself that."

She knew that Tristan liked Rory and it didn't actually bother her. She wasn't the type to get involved anyway, or at least emotionally involved, besides she just liked playing with him.

"I'll prove it to you this weekend, when you come to the party." Tristan told her with a grin. 

"You're not that charming." She dismissed with a smile.

"Oh, yes I am." Tristan said, before walking down the hall. "I'll see you on Saturday night, Magdelene." 

Christa watched him go, wondering if he hit on her because she looked like Rory, because he thought she was easier than her twin, because he was incapable of **not** flirting, or because he was genuinely attracted to her.

_Probably all of the above. _She thought, shaking her head. She thought it should probably bother her, that he might be hitting on her because she was Rory's twin, but it didn't.

After all, he was just another guy, but at least he was a cute one.

* * *

Rory watched her sister and Tristan, shaking her head. She had no idea why Christa encouraged him, yet she did. Almost every time she saw Christa, Tristan was there, flirting with her. Oh, well, to each their own. 

Rory took a deep breath, about to ask Christa for a **huge** favour.

"Hey, sis." Christa greeted with a smile. 

"Hey." Rory greeted, then took a deep breath. "You love me, right?"

"Yes." Christa said slowly. "What do I have to do?"

"Have dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's on Friday." Rory told her. "It's Dean and I's three month anniversary and Grandma will only let me miss dinner if you go in my place." Christa, of course, wasn't obligated to attend Friday Night dinners and thus didn't.

"Three months, huh?" Christa asked with a sigh.

"Uh huh." Rory confided. "He has this big thing planned and..." 

"Fine." Christa said with a sigh. "I'll do it."

"You will?" Rory said. "Thank you!" 

"Not so fast." Christa said with a smile. "There's a catch."

"What is it?" Rory said, willing to do just about anything.

"You're going to Madeline's party with me." Christa told her.

Rory made a face, since she hadn't intended to go to the party. "Fine." She said after a minute, since she really wanted to get out of Friday Night Dinner. "I'll go."

She figured it wasn't that big a sacrifice, since she was positive that Christa would hate dinner with their grandparents more than she'd hate going to Madeline's party.

"All right." Christa said and then sighed. "You better have fun with that boyfriend of yours while I'm facing Emily."

"I will." Rory promised her, getting dreamy just thinking about Dean and their plans. Three months, she could barely believe it...

* * *

"Christa's in." Rory told Lorelai when she got home from school.

"What did you have to give her?" Lorelai asked with a grin. She knew her daughter, there was no way Christa would have agreed to go to Friday Night Dinner without getting something in return.

"I have to go to this party on Saturday." Rory said with a sigh. 

"That sounds like fun." Lorelai said with a smile. 

Rory made a face. "Not really. It's the Chilton crowd and..."

"But Christa wants to go?" Lorelai asked.

"For some reason, yeah." Rory said, making a face. "I think she's going just to flirt with Tristan." 

Lorelai could sense Rory's disgust there and smiled. "Tristan?"

"Yeah, he's always hanging around her, bugging her and she encourages it." Rory said, rolling her eyes. "Oh well, to each their own, right?"

"Is he still calling her 'Magdelene'?" Lorelai inquired.

"Yep." Rory replied. "It doesn't seem to bug her at all." 

Lorelai paused, trying to find the right words. The truth was, Rory and Christa were drastically different, what bugged Rory, barely registered with Christa and vice versa. Christa wasn't the type to get worked up over someone calling her 'Magdelene', she might ever find it amusing, whereas Rory was the opposite. It was one of those many differences between the twins, so alike on the outside, so different on the inside...

* * *


	13. Part Thirteen: Party Plans

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Thirteen: Party Plans

"I'm free on Friday." Rory told Dean the next day as they met before she had to go to school. 

He smiled at her. "That's great. How did you manage to get out of dinner?"

"Christa." Rory told him. "Grandma said I could miss it if she'd take my place and I got her to agree."

"That's nice of her." Dean said, he'd hung out with Rory's sister a few times in the last few weeks and seemed to get along with her.

"Well, I had to agree to go to this stupid party with her on Saturday." Rory said with a groan.

"Oh?" Dean asked.

Rory wasn't sure how he'd feel about the idea, since he seemed to have some weird feelings about Tristan which made no sense at all. Especially not now that Christa was in the picture.

"Yeah, it's a Chilton party and I didn't want to go." Rory told him. "But Christa really does and that's how I got her to agree to take my place at Friday Night dinner."

"I guess that's okay then." Dean said. "It's just a party right?" 

Rory smiled, glad that he wasn't upset. "Yeah." She told him. "I don't even want to go."

"No, it's okay." Dean said, sounding cheered by Rory's lack of enthusiasm. "Go and have fun, it would be good for you to spend time with your sister, right?"

"Right." Rory said, glad that he wasn't mad, she didn't want to ruin things. Not with their anniversary coming up in a couple days. Besides, it was only a stupid party and she was sure she wouldn't even have fun.

* * *

"Christine are you coming with us to the Brices anniversary party on Saturday?" Francine inquired as Christa got ready for school.

Francine had made it clear that she expected Christa to make a few social appearances, while she lived with them, though, thankfully, she didn't have to go to _all_ of them.

"No, I'm going to this party." Christa told her. "A girl I go to school with, Madeline Lynn, is having it. I thought it would be a good chance to get to know people."

Francine smiled at her. "That sounds lovely. I'm glad to see you're fitting in here." Francine looked at her and then paused, obviously trying to gather her words. "Christine, I know the arrangement we made was that you'd stay until the end of the school year, but your grandfather and I want you to know that you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like."

Christa suppressed a shudder at the idea of living with the Haydens for more than a few months, and forced a smile. "I'll keep that in mind, Grandmother." She then stood up. "I have to get going, school, you know." 

Francine smiled. "Of course. I'll see you this afternoon."

Christa nodded and kissed her grandmother's cheek, before grabbing her stuff and heading towards the garage. 

She was thinking about the weekend. Friday night wasn't going to be fun, but Saturday... Now that had possibilities...

* * *


	14. Part Fourteen: Matchmaker Emily

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Rating in Part One.  
_  
_A.N- In this chapter, I introduce a familiar face. He'll be important later in the story, but I thought I could bring him in for a teaser, because it fit with my plot plans. Well, that's all for now, enjoy.  
_  
Part Fourteen: Matchmaker Emily

"Did I mention, I hate these things?" Lorelai asked Christa as they stood on Richard and Emily's front porch.

Christa had driven Rory home and then come to Hartford with Lorelai, since she was staying in Stars Hollow for the weekend, which was a nice treat. 

"Me too." Christa told her, making a face. "A whole evening of Emily, with no Rory to deflect her criticisms, yay." 

Lorelai laughed. "Yep, you're definitely my kid all right."

Christa laughed and then groaned. "Do we have to do this?"

"We do." Lorelai said and rang the doorbell.

"Ah, I see, you've learnt the key lesson." Christa murmured.

"Oh, yes." Lorelai told her. "Not falling for that again."

Just then Emily opened the door. "You're late." She announced to them both.

Christa and Lorelai exchanged glance, it was like diving right into the deep end.

Emily showed them into the living room and Lorelai froze when she saw that her father wasn't alone. There was a man about ten years older than her, a woman about five years younger, and a teenage boy.

"Andrew, Natalie, this is my daughter Lorelai and my granddaughter Christa." Emily introduced. "Lorelai, Christa, I'd like you to meet Andrew and Natalie McCrae, and their son Collin."

Lorelai noticed that the young man looked totally bored. "Mom, I didn't know you were having company."

"It was just a spur of the moment thing." Emily told her, just as the doorbell rang. "I'll get that."

There was an awkward silence.

"Lorelai, can I get you a drink?" Richard asked standing up. "Yes, please." Lorelai said, wondering what in the world her mother had planned for the night.

"So, Christa, Emily told us you just moved here to Connecticut." Natalie said with a bright smile. "That must be exciting."

Lorelai noticed that the boy, Collin, looked completely bored.

Christa shrugged. "It's fine. Just another place."

Lorelai had a feeling that this was going to be a long night. Just then her mother returned, with a man about Lorelai's age in tow. What was going on?

"Lorelai, I'd like you to meet Chase Bradford." Emily introduced. "Chase, my daughter Lorelai and granddaughter Christa."

"Hey." Lorelai said awkwardly.

Christa just nodded. Lorelai had a feeling her daughter was silently cursing Rory and Lorelai was kind of seconding the thought.

"Hi." Chase said with an enthusiastic smile.

Lorelai took a big sip of her drink. She had a feeling this was going to be a very long evening indeed.

* * *

"Christa, why don't you and Collin go get to know each other?" Emily suggested after dinner.

Christa stood up eagerly, not all that interested in getting to know Collin, who had barely said two words during dinner, but eager to get away from the table. Chase was boring, Andrew was pretentious and Natalie was a twit. It had been even worse than most dinners at her grandparents.

Christa was still irritated that Emily had pulled this, but not surprised. It was just like Emily to try and make sure both she and Lorelai met "suitable" men. She'd also made a few digs about how Rory was celebrating her three month anniversary and when was the last time Christa or Lorelai accomplished such a feat?

Christa led Colin to the pool house, making a quick stop in the study first. She quickly found a bottle of Scotch and grabbed it.

"Scotch?" Christa asked, pulling out the bottle as soon as they were in the pool house.

Colin actually smiled. "Oh, thank God." 

She handed it to him and he took a swig, then handed it back. 

"So, do you think they're bartering the marriage contract?" Colin asked.

Christa laughed. "Probably." 

Colin rolled his eyes. "I hate these things, being dragged out and palmed off on somebody's daughter and granddaughter." He gave her a warm look. "Though, I must say, you're prettier than most of them."

Christa rolled her eye. "It's like this whole night was some weird version of the dating game, you know?" She laughed. "Though, at least you're not as boring as that guy she picked for Mom."

Colin laughed. "I don't think that would be humanly possible."

"So where do you go to school?" Christa asked.

"Hainsworth." Colin told her. "Before that I got kicked out of Groton and St. Sebastian's and I did a year at Zutterburg last year, but they decided to bring me back to the States. What about you?" 

"Chilton." Christa told him. "After being at Hillbrook and Collingsworth."

And those were only the schools she'd gone to for the last year and a half. Before that there had been several different schools, however it had been Christopher's fault that she'd left those schools, not her own. They'd moved around a lot when she was growing up.

But the Hillbrook move was all her, she'd gone there for a year and had then been asked to not come back. Francine and Straub had been furious, naturally. Christa had suggested that she could just go to public school, which they wouldn't have to pay for, but they hadn't agreed. She was a Hayden after all and that meant there was a certain standard she had to live up to. "

A kindred spirit." Colin said with a grin. "Multiple schools at a young age, always impressive."

"So what's next?" Christa asked, taking another swig of the scotch. 

"Yale." Colin told her. "At least the parties will be better."

"That's always a plus." Christa said with a grin.

"What about you?" Colin said. "Where are you expected to land college-wise?" 

"Well the Gilmores want Yale, the Haydens want Princeton and my twin is going to Harvard." Christa told him. "I figure I might end up bumming around Europe for a few years, just wasting other people's money."

"Here, here." Colin said, taking the scotch. "I thought you would just be another boring society girl, but turns out this is my lucky night." 

Christa just laughed and took another swig of scotch.

* * *

Lorelai was about to jump out of a window, when Christa finally made it back.

"Ready to go?" She asked, standing up.

"Lorelai." Emily scolded.

"Sorry, Mom, it's been a long day." Lorelai told her. "I'm tired and I couldn't leave without Christa."

Emily shot her a look, but didn't protest. 

Lorelai hid a sigh of relief and then turned to her parents guests. "It was nice meeting all of you." She said, faking a smile.

They echoed the sentiments.

Lorelai saw Christa whisper something to the boy, Colin was it, and raised an eyebrow. Still, she didn't question it, just grabbed her daughter and hurried out of there.

Once they were in the car, she turned to Christa. "Okay, how did you manage to have a better time than me?"

"Well, my set-up wasn't really boring." Christa told her with a grin. "Actually, he was pretty cool." 

Lorelai shot her a look. "He barely said two words at dinner and what he did say was snotty and pretentious."

"Well, he was better away from everyone." Christa told him. "Plus we stole a bottle of Grandpa's scotch."

"Ooh, you held on me." Lorelai told her, wondering if she should be upset that her sixteen year-old daughter was drinking or not.

"So you going to call Chase?" Christa teased her.

"No." Lorelai told her. "You going to call Colin?"

"I'm going to some party the weekend after." Christa told her. "Thought it sounded cool. He said it's a bunch of his friends, you know society brats, who get bored going to all those stupid parties, so it's a sub-party they're forming at this charity thing Straub and Francine were making me go to anyway."

Lorelai raised an eyebrow. "So you're going out with a guy Grandma set you up with?"

Christa made a face. "I'm not going out with him, per say, I'm going to a party with him. Total difference."

Lorelai grinned. "Do you think Grandma will see it that way?"

Christa grimaced. "You have a point, don't tell her please?"

Lorelai grinned. "What do I get in return? This could be fun, having some to hold over your head."

She decided to let the subject drop. She had run away from that crowd, the bored society brats, but Christopher had allowed Christa to be exposed to it and there was nothing she could do about it. It was just one of those many things that she had to bite her tongue about.

* * *


	15. Part Fifteen: The BreakUp

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Fifteen: The Break-Up

Christa followed her mother into the house, the alcohol buzz starting to wear off. Or at least a little. The night had certainly been interesting. Well, at least Colin had been.

Lorelai and Christa had just gotten inside, when Rory walked in, looking shattered.

"Rory?" Lorelai asked.

"We just broke up." Rory announced. 

Christa exchanged a look with her mother, before they both approached Rory and enveloped her in a three way hug.

"Tell me what happened." Lorelai said, caressing Rory's hair.

"We broke up." Rory repeated. "We just broke up."

"But you guys were like the fairy-tale couple." Christa protested, unable to believe her ears. Dean and Rory had broken up. That was like wow.

_Tristan'll be pleased. _A little voice in her head commented. Christa dismissed the voice. This was not the time to be worried about whether the guy she thought was hot would react to the news that her sister was now single. How selfish could she be? 

"I don't understand," Lorelai said, her arm still around Rory's shoulder.

"We--we went to dinner and then we walked by the bonfire, but it wasn't so we went to this junkyard and we sat in this car and then--" Rory broke off. "Then he broke up with me."

"That doesn't make sense." Lorelai said, voicing Christa's thoughts. "This is _Dean_ we're talking about. He's crazy about you. He calls like 25 times a day. Have you seen the cover of his notebook? Itís one step away from stalker material."

Christa was confused, she still couldn't believe that Dean and Rory had broken up. They were like the perfect couple.

"I have to go to bed." Rory said, walking away from them both.

Lorelai and Christa exchanged looks and then followed her into her bedroom.

"Well, wait." Lorelai told her. "Take us through the night, step by step."

"Why?" Rory asked.

"So we can help decipher what happened here." Christa told her sister.

"What happened here is we broke up." Rory said flatly. "He didn't want to be my boyfriend anymore, end of story."

Christa exchanged another look with her sister. That was not the end of story, it couldn't be. _Something_ had to have happened, after all happy couples did not just suddenly break up on their three month anniversary without a reason.

"That is so not end of story." Lorelai stated, echoing her thoughts.

"Yes it is." Rory insisted.

"Honey," Lorelai said softly, "he did not plan an entire romantic evening complete with dinner and a junkyard, which weíll get back to later, and then suddenly decide to dump you for no reason." 

"How do you know?" Rory asked, pulling out a box from her closet.

"Because Dean loves you." Christa told her softly.

Rory just ignored her and started piling things into the box.

"What are you doing?" Lorelai asked her.

"I'm getting rid of all this stuff." Rory told her, continuing to put things in the box.

"What stuff?" Christa asked, exchange another look with her mother. Christa had to wonder if this was normal break-up behaviour. If it was, then she thought she was glad that she'd never been in a relationship long enough to be devastated by it's end.

"Everything he gave me, everything he touched, everything he looked at." Rory said, rifling through her closest.

"Will you have anything left?" Christa asked, earning a look from her mother. 

"Honey," Lorelai said softly, "will you just calm down for one second."

"He doesn't want to be my boyfriend--fine." Rory said, ignoring her mother as she continued to throw things in the box.

"Ok, it will be fine, but--" Lorelai said and then grabbed one of the shirts that Rory was about to put in the box.

"What?" Rory asked, looking at her.

"Mine." Lorelai told her. 

"Oh." Rory said and paused for a moment, then she went back to her closet. She grabbed a sweater, but Christa grabbed it away from her.

"Mine." Christa said, wondering if Rory really **was** just going to dump everything in the box. 

"Is there someone else?" Lorelai asked her.

"No." Rory said shortly.

"Is he moving?" Christa asked. 

"No." Rory repeated, sounding annoyed.

"Uh, is he dying?" Lorelai guessed. "Did his football team lose a game?"

Christa and Rory both turned to look at their mother.

"Trust me, it's happened." Lorelai assured them, she grimaced. "Did Dean, um, try something?" 

Christa raised an eyebrow. Dean? He did **not** seem that type.

Rory just stared at their mother blankly.

"You know," Lorelai said awkwardly, "did he wanna..." 

"No!" Rory exclaimed, confirming Christa's instincts.

"Oh, ok," Lorelai said, sounding relieved, "I'm sorry, but you're not giving me a lot to go with here."

Rory shook her head and went back to the closet, coming out with a formal dress which she stuck in the box.

"Honey, that's your fancy dress that I made you." Lorelai objected. 

"That I wore to a dance that I went to with him." Rory reminded her.

Christa wondered if her sister really was going to threw out everything she owned, which might be interesting. 

"Colonel Clucker? Are you serious? He has been with you since you were four." Lorelai protested as Rory went to put her beloved stuffed chicken in the box.

"The first time Dean came over, he picked him up." Rory told her mother.

"Well thatís the not the colonelís fault." Lorelai insisted, taking the stuffed bird out of the box. "He was sitting there minding his own business and a guy comes in and picks him up, whatís a stuffed bird to do?"

"I don't to joke about this, not now." Rory said, but she didn't attempt to put Colonel Clucker back in the box.

"Ok." Lorelai said softly.

"Here." Rory said, handing the box to her mother. "I donít want to look at that anymore."

"Ok, I'll, um, I'll put it away." Lorelai said, gripping the box.

"No, take it out of the house." Rory insisted. "Throw it in a dumpster, burn it, I donít care. Just--I want it gone."

Christa stared at her sister, unable to believe what she was hearing, Rory couldn't really mean to just throw out all of those things?

"You know, honey," Lorelai began, obviously thinking the same thing as Christa, "some day, when all of this is in the past, you may be sorry that you don't have some of those things anymore."

"I don't care." Rory said stubbornly.

"But Rory--" Christa began.

"I don't care!" Her sister repeated. Lorelai and Christa exchanged looks.

"Ok." Lorelai agreed. "Fine. It's gone."

"Thank you." Rory said.

"So, I'll take care of this." Lorelai said quietly. "You go to bed and get some rest. Maybe youíll fell more like talking in the morning."

"I'll sleep on the couch." Christa offered. "Let you be alone." 

Rory nodded. "Thank you."

"Goodnight, Honey." Lorelai said, leaning over to give Rory a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Mom..." Rory said softly.

"Yeah?" 

"Far, far away from the house, ok?"

Lorelai smiled at her. "Hey, it sleeps with the fishes."

"Thank you." Lorelai just smiled again and left Rory's room with Christa trailing behind.

"You're not really going to toss all that stuff, are you?" Christa whispered.

"Of course not." Lorelai said and she stuck the box in a close, covering it was a blanket. "She only _thinks_ she wants it gone, she doesn't really."

Christa smiled as the two fo them walked into the living room. "I guess you used your 'mom powers' to determine that, huh?"

Lorelai grinned. "No, I actually used my own break-up experience. Though, maybe I should say I used 'mom powers', it sounds better."

"What do you think happened?" Christa asked. "Between Rory and Dean, I mean."

"I don't know." Lorelai told her. "And I won't until your sister tells us and she will, when she's ready."

Christa just nodded, wondering what it was that could have broken Dean and Rory up... Unfortunately, her mother was right, they just had to wait until Rory was ready to talk...

* * *


	16. Part Sixteen: Breakfast at Luke's

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Sixteen: Breakfast at Luke's

Lorelai had to admit that she was a little concerned about Rory. She'd come in and woken both her and Christa up at six a.m. and was now dragging them around Stars Hollow to do errands that they'd been putting off for months despite the fact that it was still earlier in the morning than it had any right to be. No one got up a six a.m., at least no one in the Gilmore household.

Rory also refused to talk about Dean, instead she just kept talking about her list and all the tasks they had to complete that morning.

"If she brings out that list again, I'm going to shoot her." Christa whispered as Rory continued to drag them through town, though at least they were heading in the direct of coffee, the elixir of life.

"Honey, she's going through a crisis." Lorelai whispered back, though she kind of felt the same way.

Christa made a face. "What was wrong with the idea of sitting on the couch watching sad movies and eating pizza? I liked that idea."

Lorelai smiled, she was always a fan of wallowing, but Rory had refused to consider it, instead they were on a mission.

"What's holding you two up?" Rory demanded, turning around to stare at them. "Come on, we have to stuff to do."

Christa made a face. "Did we really come from the same womb? Because seriously, there's no way we can be related."

Lorelai laughed. "Well, I was there and you two definitely both came out together. If you're not related, then that would definitely be something to look into." 

Rory looked unimpressed. "Come on, you two!"

"I'm buying a gun." Christa grouched as they hurried to catch up with Rory.

"I might give you the money for it." Lorelai muttered, not too thrilled at the idea of more errands. But at least Rory had been smart enough to suggest that they start with coffee. 

Lorelai made a face, she had to admit that she and Rory didn't exactly have the same method of dealing with break-ups, her method was a lot less work.

* * *

Christa thought she might murder her sister. First Rory woke her up at six a.m. and insisted on dragging her and their mother out to do some crazy errands, now she'd made them crawl through a back alley to get to Luke's because she was afraid of running into Dean.

Christa was sympathetic and all, she knew her sister was hurting, but that still didn't stop her from being annoyed. She was **not** a morning person.

They got into Luke's and Christa collapsed in a chair.

"Who are all these people?" Lorelai asked as she took her own seat.

"It's the 6 a.m. crowd." Rory told her, sitting down as well.

"I officially recognise nobody in this place." Lorelai said looking around. 

A woman, who was decidedly not Luke, came over to the table with a coffee pot. "Hey." She said with a smile.

"Oh, hi." Lorelai said, then nodded at Christa and Rory. "Rachel, these are my daughters, Rory and Christa."

Rachel smiled at them. "It's nice to meet you both." She turned to Lorelai. "They look just like you."

Lorelai smiled. "Thanks, I credit it to strong genes."

"Coffee while you wait?" Rachel asked with a smile.

"Oh bless you." Lorelai said and held her cup. "So Luke put you to work, huh?"

"Yeah," Rachel told her, "well, I figured if I'm going to be hanging around here for a while the least I could do is help out."

Christa saw Lorelai look a little uncomfortable.

"So, you're going to be hanging around for a while... Here?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I think so." Rachel said warmly.

"Oh, well, that's nice." Lorelai said without a lot of enthusiasm.

Christa sent her mother a look, why was she so uncomfortable?

"Yeah." Rachel said, with a nod.

"So, where is Luke?" Rory asked, breaking up the awkward tension.

"Well, we were kind of late last night, so I let him sleep in." Rachel answered.

"Sleep in? Luke?" Lorelai asked in disbelief and Christa was silently echoing it. Luke just never struck her as the type to sleep-in.

"Oh, believe me it wasn't easy to get him to agree to it," Rachel said with a knowing smile, "but in the end, a little sweet talk, a couple of Excedrin PM and he finally caved." Rachel looked around and obviously saw how busy it is. "I'll be back in a minute to take your orders." She said before walking away to wait on another table.

"So that's Rachel." Christa said with a nod, her mother had mentioned Luke's mystery woman.

"That's Rachel." Lorelai confirmed.

"I feel like everyone's staring at me." Rory complained suddenly.

"Well, yeah," Lorelai told her, "Because you've got a banana peel stuck to your foot."

Christa giggled, btu Rory looked panicked. "I do?"

"I'm kidding." Lorelai assured her. "Nobody's staring at you."

Christa was pretty sure she was lying, since it did seem like every eye in the place was focused them, but she had to give her mom credit for tying to calm Rory down.

"They know." Rory stated in horror.

"They don't know." Christa reassured her. "How could they?"

"It's probably all around town by now." Rory said, ignoring her.

"Honey," Lorelai said, "it just happened last night. It's like six a.m." 

"Everyone knows that I've been dumped." Rory said, apparently not willing to reason.

Besides, Christa wasn't so certain that she was overreacting, they were getting a lot of looks. 

"Do you want to go home?" Lorelai offered. 

_Please, yes._ Christa thought, if they went home she could get some much needed sleep.

"No." Rory stated stubbornly. "We have a list."

Christa repressed a sigh. Damn that stupid list.

"Ok, great." Lorelai said, getting up. "I'm gonna order us something. Any preference?"

"I don't care." Rory told her. 

"Food." Was Christa's only answer.

Lorelai nodded and walked to the counter.

Christa watched her go, once again silently bemoaning the fact that she was up at six o'clock on a Saturday morning. Break-ups sucked.

* * *

Rory watched her mother talking to Miss Patty. It confirmed her fears.

"Everyone knows." She told her sister.

Christa shot her a look. "Rory..."

"Mom's talking to Miss Patty." Rory insisted. "And you know what that means."

Christa might not live in Stars Hollow, but she visited often enough to know all the major players. Christa winced. "She might not know." 

"She knows." Rory said flatly. "And so does everyone else."

Christa looked sympathetic. "Well, at least you don't go to school here and no one at Chilton will know unless you tell them."

"Yeah." Rory said with a sigh. She looked at the counter, her mother was now talking to Luke. At least the conversation with Miss Patty appeared to have been short. "I just hate the idea of everyone knowing."

"I know." Christa told her. "I'm not sure I would have gotten out of bed."

Just then Kirk made his way over the table. 

"Oh, no." Rory groaned.

"Rory, I was so sorry to hear about you and Dean." He told her. "I never liked him, you know. I donít know what it was, something about the shape of his forehead or his height or the floppy hair style. Actually yes, on reflection I think it was the floppy hair style." 

"Good morning Kirk." Lorelai said coming back to the table.

Rory let out a tiny sigh of relief and saw Christa do the same. No one dealt with Kirk as well as Lorelai.

"Lorelai," Kirk said, turning to look at her, "I want to express my apologies for not voicing my concerns about that floppy-haried jerk earlier because if I had--"

"Oh, you know what?" Lorelai told him. "You need to leave now."

"I cannot go until you accept my apology." Kirk insisted.

_Oh, God._ Rory thought. "I accept your apology." Lorelai assured him.

"All right." Kirk said. "It will not happen again."

With that he left. "Thank you." Rory said when he was gone.

"He gets weirder every time I visit." Christa commented.

"Oh, this was pretty normal Kirk." Lorelai assured her daughter.

Christa raised an eyebrow and then shook her head. "I don't even want to know."

Lorelai smiled and turned to Rory. "Honey are you sure that you don't want to--"

"Don't even say 'wallow'." Rory warned her mother. Did her mother think that sitting in front of the TV in her pyjamas would make her forget Dean? No, the only thing she could do was just try to move on with her life. "I'm fine."

Christa and Lorelai exchanged looks.

"I am." Rory insisted.

"If you could see the look on your face." Lorelai said gently.

"It's the same look you had on your face when you broke up with Max." Rory pointed out. "Did wallowing help you get over him?" 

Her mother looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Iím not saying wallowing will help you get over Dean." Lorelai said quietly. "But itís part of the process. Itís the mourning period. Itís a step, an important step. The only thing that will get you over somebody is time."

"How long did it take for you to get over Max?" Rory demanded.

"I'm not sure exactly." Lorelai hedged.

"Approximately?" Rory asked.

"I didn't clock it." Lorelai told her. 

"Ballpark figure?" Rory pressed, honestly wanting to know.

"A while." Lorelai answered.

"Be vaguer." Rory said, making a face.

"Rory, come on, give Mom a break." Christa said, jumping in. "It's hard to put an exact number on these things."

Rory glared at her. "How would you know? You've never had a relationship last longer than a couple weeks. Are you even capable of a real relationship?"

Christa winced.

"Rory." Lorelai said warningly.

"Sorry." Rory apologised, after all she hadn't intended to snap at her sister, she was just sick of being told she should wallow. She didn't want to wallow, she just wanted to move on.

Luke came over the table then. 

"More coffee?" He offered. "Pancakes are coming right up, anything else I can get you."

"No thanks." Rory told him.

"Hey, I've got some strawberries back there," he told her, "you like strawberries don't you?"

Oh, no, even Luke felt sorry for her. "Yeah, I like strawberries, but--" She began. 

Luke cut her off. "I'm getting you strawberries." 

With that he moved over ot the next table. Rory glared at her mother. "You told him didn't you?"

"No. Miss Patty did." Lorelai replied.

Rory wasn't certain she believed her mother. "Well, who told Miss Patty?"

"I don't know." Lorelai said with a shrug. "Numerous sources. You know how it is around here."

Rory did and she knew she couldn't blame her mother. It was just one of the downsides to living in a place the size of Stars Hollow. "If you tell Miss Patty, everybody in town is gonna know." Rory complained. 

"Honey, people have their own lives and their own problems." Lorelai assured her. "I hardly think you and Dean breaking up is the main thing on their minds." Lorelai's eyes widened suddenly. "Oh my God! Oh!"

"What!" Christa and Rory exclaimed in unison.

Rory looked out the window to see Luke wrestling with Dean. "Oh my God!" She got up and ran outside, her mother and sister following her.

"Hey, hey, hey, cut it out!" Lorelai instructed. "Break it up!" She turned to Luke. "You back off! Come here!" She demanded. "What do you think you're doing!"

"He started it!" Luke insisted.

Rory just kind of wanted to melt into the sidewalk. This was not how she intended her first meeting with Dean post-break-up to go. Truth been told, she'd kinda been hoping that there would never be a 'first' meeting. Rory watched her mom yell at Luke and then drag him inside, while Christa watched with her usual amused smirk.

She turned to Dean. "Are you ok?" She asked awkwardly.

"I'm fine." He told her shortly.

"Oh, good." She said in relief. "I don't know what got into Luke. He's usually so--"

"I have to go." Dean said interrupting her and then he walked away. 

"Oh, sure, bye." Rory said to his retreating back. 

"Where's that list?" Christa asked from beside her. 

Rory turned to her twin. "What?"

"The list." Christa repeated. "Come on, Ror, we've got a lot to do, otherwise Mom and I are gonna be dragging your butt outta bed at 6 o'clock again tomorrow. So, where's the list?"

Rory smiled and pulled out the list. "Well, we need a soap dish for the kitchen."

Christa grinned. "Great. Let's go grab Mom, and free Luke, and go get a soap dish."

* * *


	17. Part Seventeen: Party Preperation

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Seventeen: Party Preparation

"You totally don't have to go to the party with me." Christa told Rory when they got home after several hours of running errands.

They'd completed every errand on the list. It wasn't Christa's ideal way to spend a Saturday, but if it made Rory feel better, then mission accomplished. 

"No, I want to go." Rory told her.

Christa and Lorelai both looked at her.

"You want to go to a Chilton party?" Lorelai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." Rory replied. "I told Christa I would, besides it might be fun." 

"Rory, you don't have to do this." Christa told her. "I'm totally cool going by myself." And she was. It wasn't like she hadn't done it before, actually this might be the first party, other than like family things, she and Rory had ever gone to together.

"Hey, I'm going to be going to school there for the next two and a half years." Rory pointed out. "It wouldn't kill me to be social, right? What's wrong with that?" 

"Nothing." Lorelai told her, but Christa could see that she looked doubtful.

"Ok, then it's settled." Rory told her. "Christa and I are going to the party." 

"Um, can I make a suggestion?" Lorelai asked.

"Go ahead." Rory told her.

"Why don't you see if Lane can come with you?" Lorelai suggested. "You know that way if the socializing doesnít turn out how you planned you got a friendly face around and, well, Christa can do her own thing." 

"Mom, that's not necessary." Christa told her. "I'd be happy to stick with Rory."

"No, it's a good idea." Rory told her. "You really wanted to go to this party."

Christa nodded, wondering if it made her selfish to be relieved that she wouldn't have sole charge over the task of watching over Rory.

Rory looked at Christa. "We're taking your car right?"

"That was the plan." Christa told her, then frowned. "But it doesn't have much of a backseat."

Rory turned to their mother. "Can we have the car?"

"Sure." Lorelai told her with a smile.

"Can I borrow something to wear?" Rory asked.

"Yes." Lorelai answered.

"Are you going to give in to anything I say because you feel sorry for me?" Rory asked of their mother.

"Yes!" Lorelai said again.

"I'll make a list." Rory said happily before walking away.

Once she'd left the room Christa turned to her mother. "Do you really think this is a good idea?" 

"Honestly, no." Lorelai answered. "But she wants to get out of the house and that's good, it's just... Maybe she'll have fun."

Christa nodded, though she wasn't so sure, still if Rory wanted to go, who was she to try and talk her out of it?

* * *

Later that night, Rory was in her room getting ready with Lane and Christa.

She had picked a pretty red and black flowered dress to wear, while Lane was wearing a red sweater and a denim skirt outfit that looked great on her and Christa had on a tight dress the same reddish-purple colour as the streaks in her hair.

"One of the few things I managed to bring from California." She had confided with a grin as they were getting ready.

Rory looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Here, hand me that blush." She instructed Lane.

"Ok." Lane said and handed it to her.

"Am I all twisty back here?" Rory asked.

"Oh, a little. Here." Christa said, fixing her dress.

"So, how are you?" Lane asked her.

"I'm... Fine." Rory said quietly, not sure how else to answer.

"How are you _really_?" Lane asked her.

"Life goes on, right?" Rory asked with a shrug.

"You know, I saw Dean today." Lane told her. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you."

"Why not?" Rory asked.

"I mean, I wasn't sure if you wanted to know." Lane corrected. 

"No, it's fine." Rory assured her. "What'd he say?"

"Nothing." Lane answered. "He crossed the street as soon as I saw him."

Much like him walking away from her that morning. "Oh." Rory stated flatly.

"But if itís any consolation he looks really sad." Lane assured her.

"I donít want him to be sad." Rory told her.

"Not even a little?" Christa asked. "If it was me, I'd want him to be miserable." 

"I'm not you." Rory told her sister flatly. 

"Rory, are you sure you want to go out tonight?" Lane asked, breaking up the tension between the sisters.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Rory demanded.

"Because you and Dean _just_ broke up." Christa pointed out. 

"Yeah," Lane echoed, "I mean I'd be perfectly fine just hanging out here. We could listen to music and talk, or not talk, whatever."

Rory was started to get frustrated. Why didn't anyone get it? She wanted to get past what happened, not dwell on it. "No, I am not hanging out." She told her sister and Lane. "We are going to this party. Itís gonna be great. I donít want to dwell on this. Thatís final." 

"Donít argue with her or youíll find yourself the proud owner of three garden weasels." Lorelai said, walking to the room.

"Mom." Rory stated.

"Three cause one's just not enough." Christa added.

"Here, turn around." Lorelai instructed, coming up behind Rory. 

"Why?" Rory asked.

"Fourteen hours of labour, that's why." Lorelai said, clicking her tongue.

"It wasn't just me in there." Rory pointed out.

"But you were born first, so you were totally blocking me in." Christa pointed out with a grin.

"Fine." Rory said, rolling her eyes as she turned around. "And hair." Lorelai instructed. Rory did as she was told, holding up her hair.

Lorelai put a necklace with little red stones on Rory.

"What is this?" Rory asked, fingering the necklace.

"I thought it would go with your dress and it does." Lorelai told her and then turned to Christa. "Your turn."

Christa nodded and allowed her mother to fasted a simple gold necklace around her neck. "Thanks Mom."

"Yeah, they're both really pretty." Rory said softly.

"Yeah, they are really pretty." Lorelai told her. "Almost as pretty as my girls."

Lorelai handed Rory her cellphone and some cash. "Here," she said, "the phone and some mad money. If for any reason you think youíre not going to be home by 12:00 you call me."

"Oh, we'll be back by 12:00." Lane assured her.

Lorelai shot her a look. "Hi, call me."

"Sorry." Lane said, making a face.

Rory was about to say something, when she suddenly noticed the box of cornstarch on her dresser.

"Rory?" Christa asked quietly.

"The cornstarch." Rory told her, still staring at it.

"What?" Lorelai asked, giving her a weird look.

"Um, the cornstarch." Rory repeated. "The first time Dean kissed me he--I forgot to put it with the other things. Iíll just throw it out."

"Hey, why donít you let me do that?" Lorelai offered. "You guys just get going, ok?"

"Ok." Rory said, handing the box of cornstarch to her mother. She, Christa and Lane made their way to the door.

"Ok, bye. Have fun." Lorelai instructed. "Ooh hey, look in somebodyís sock drawer. Rich people have hilarious sock drawers."

Rory smiled at that.

"Be good." Lorelai added as they exited the house.

Rory took a deep breath as she approached the car. She could do this, she was going to do this. It was going to be fun. Really, it was.

* * *


	18. Part Eighteen: Arrival at the Party

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Eighteen: Arrival at the Party  
  
"Wow, this is unbelievable." Lane muttered as they entered Madeline's house. "My wedding won't be this big."

"Yeah." Rory muttered.

"This is amazing!" Lane said, still looking around. "People live here?"

"This is Madeline's house." Rory told her.

Christa rolled her eyes, it was just a house.

"Is this what your grandparents house looks like?" Lane asked.

"No." Rory answered. "I mean, it's big, but it's not this Hearst castlely."

"Straub and Francine's place is a little like this, not quite as big, but definitely imposing." Christa answered.

"Wow." Lane said, looking around. "I just, wow."

"You came!" Madeline said, coming up to them, Louise and Paris following behind.

"Yeah." Rory said with a smile.

"Who's watching the farm?" Louise drawled.

"Oh, they let us out every once and a while." Christa retorted. "You know good behaviour and all that."

"Madeline, your house is beautiful." Rory said, speaking directly to Madeline, the nicest of the terrible trio.

"Thanks," Madeline said, "it's my stepfather's."

"So where is he?" Louise asked with a smirk.

"My stepfather?" Madeline asked in confusion. "He's in Japan."

"No, not your stepfather." Louise said, rolling her eyes. "Prince Charming?"

Christa saw her sister wince and felt like hitting Louise. "We felt like a girl's night." She said, speaking up before Rory had a chance.

"Really?" Louise drawled. "How... Cute."

"Hi, I'm Lane." Lane said, breaking into the conversation.

Louise gave her a look. "As in a 'walk down a...'?"

"Yes, exactly." Lane answered.

Christa shot her sister's best friend a smile for breaking the tension.

"Hi, I'm Madeline!" Madeline introduced in a friendly voice. Just then, two guys Christa didn't recognise came up and wrapped their arms around Madeline and Louise.

"So when does the tour of the pool house start?" The one wrapped around Madeline asked. 

"You've seen the pool house before." Madeline said in confusion.

Christa rolled her eyes. How had that girl gotten into Chilton? She herself wasn't the best student in the world, but at least she could process simple sentences.

"Yes, but they havenít seen it at night, right?" Louise prodded.

"Right." The other guy answered.

"But--" Madeline began, still confused.

"Madeline, you are not confused." Louise told her. "Think. Process. Focus." 

"Oh!" Madeline said, obviously getting it. "Bye!" 

With that she allowed the guy to lead her away.

"Later Paris." Louise called as they walked away.

"No glove no love." Paris reminded her.

Louise rolled her eyes. "Lovely."

With that, they were gone. 

Christa looked around to see if there was anything interesting going on, when suddenly she felt a pair of arms encircle her waist. "What the Hell?" She asked as she turned around. 

She saw Tristan standing there. "Hey Magdelene, I knew you'd come."

"Let go of me." She instructed. 

"Only if you agree to dance with me." He told her, his arms still around her. "After all, we both know you came here to see me."

"You're delusional." Christa told him, then rolled her eyes. "One dance, just to get you to leave me alone."

Tristan smirked and released her. "Sure, Magdelene." He grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor.

"I'll see you later." She told her sister as Tristan dragged her away. She felt bad about leaving Rory, but Lane was there, right?

* * *

Rory watched her sister go and sighed. She was glad Christa was having a good time, though she still didn't see the appeal of Tristan.

Paris looked at her watch. "9:45."

"Why do you keep checking your watch?" Rory asked her.

"My mom says I have to stay until 10:30." Paris explained.

"Why would she care?" Rory wanted to know. She couldn't imagine her mother telling her or Christa that they had to stay at a party until a certain time. Of course with Christa was was never a problem. 

"She thinks Iím not enough of a people person." Paris explained. "Shocking huh?"

"I'm floored." Rory commented.

"Yeah, well, I doubt highly that Madam Curie was voted most likely to dress like Jennifer Lopez." Paris said, making a face.

"You want to be a scientist?" Rory asked Paris. These were the times when Paris seemed almost human and Rory thought she could actually like her. Unfortunately those times were few and far between.

"Cancer research." Paris told her.

"Cool." Rory replied. "Very worthwhile."

"Oh, no." Lane cried out.

Rory turned to look at her. "What?" 

"It just figures that the only Korean boy at this party has his Korean girl radar turned on." Lane complained, as a cute Korean boy made his way over to them.

"Hi." He said, smiling at Lane.

"Hi." She said awkwardly. 

"I'm Henry." He introduced.

"I'm Lane." She told him. "This is Rory and Paris." 

"We've met." Paris said flatly.

"Paris." Henry acknowledged, then turned back to Lane. "So would you like to talk."

"Oh, well, we're talking here." Lane said awkwardly.

"Oh, yeah, but I mean one dance?" Henry pressed. "You can put the conversation on hold for one dance right? Unless this is a Mideast peace talk kind of conversation."

"Once dance." Lane agreed weakly.

"Thank you." Henry told her.

Lane took off her coat and handed it to Rory. "If Iím not back in one dance youíre coming down with a really bad case of anything that means we had to go home." She whispered.

"Whoa, is it getting warm in here or is it just me?" Rory answered, though she was silently wondering how thrilled Christa would be the idea of leaving early.

"Thank you." Lane said and allowed Henry to lead her to the dance floor. Rory had to admit it was impressive, they were there about five minutes and both Christa and Lane had been lead away.

"Unbelievable!" Paris muttered. "Sheís here five minutes she has a date. Iíve been going to this school nine years and Iím the French soda monitor."

"But you're doing a good job." Rory told Paris, giving her a weak smile.

Paris just sighed and looked at the dance floor and Rory realized that she wished she was dancing. Maybe Paris wasn't as inhuman as she tried to pretend. Maybe.

* * *


	19. Part Nineteen: Ready to Wallow

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Nineteen: Ready to Wallow  
  
Christa wondered how she managed to end up in a back room with Tristan. After all, it was only going to be one dance, but well...

Tristan pulled her to him for a kiss and she responded, but after a moment, she pulled away.

"Rory and Dean broke up!" She blurted out.

Tristan blinked. "What?"

"Rory and Dean broke up." Christa repeated. "So Rory's single now. I mean, I still don't think she'd go out with you, but..."

"That's nice." Tristan said and reached for her again. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Kissing you." He said patiently. 

"Even though you could go hit on my sister in her fragile state?" Christa asked sarcastically. She didn't even know why she was pushing it. Normally she wasn't so insecure, but the idea of being a replacement for her sister...

"I told you, I prefer spice to sugar." Tristan said and reached for her again.

This time she let him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. They kissed for a few more minutes, then Christa pulled away.

"What this time?" Tristan asked with a sigh. "You going to tell me Paris is single?"

Christa laughed. "No, but she is."

Tristan just shot her look.

Christa just shook her head. "I'm not even sure I like you." She told him. "I mean, you do come off as a jerk 90 of the time."

It was true, she thought Tristan was hot and all and he amused her. Also, she didn't have that high of standards when it came to guys, but for some reason she was wary this time.

Suddenly, she clued into what it was. It was the Rory factor. Usually, her twin wasn't around to watch her romantic 'interactions', but this time... This time Rory would have a front row seat and Christa hated the idea of her sister thinking badly of her.

"Come on, I'm not that bad." Tristan said, pretending to be hurt.

"No, I guess not." Christa told him.

She paused, Rory's comments from that morning coming into her mind suddenly. _"How would you know? You've never had a relationship last longer than a couple weeks. Are you even capable of a real relationship?"_

Christa realized that Rory already thought badly of her. Part of her knew that Rory's words had been an intention to hurt as she had been hurt, but they still stung.

_Might as well prove her right and have some fun while I'm at it. _Christa thought, leaning into kiss Tristan again.

* * *

Rory walked around the party and spotted Lane, still dancing with Henry. "Hey, am I sick yet?" She whispered.

"Not yet." Lane said happily. "It actually might just be allergies."

"Keep me posted." Rory said with a smile and walked around the party a bit more.

Suddenly, Paris rushed over to her. "My watch stopped, what time is it?" She demanded.

Rory rolled her eyes and looked at her watch. "It's 10:35."

"Yes!" Paris exclaimed. "Bye."

With that Paris rushed out the door. Rory watched her in amusement, that was Paris for you. Not exactly the social type.

"Hey, want to dance?" A guy Rory didn't know asked, coming up to her.

Rory paused. She didn't really want to dance, but... She had come to this party because she hadn't want to sit around moping, right? "

Sure." She said, forcing a smile.

He smiled back and lead her to the dancing area. She danced with him and suddenly, overwhelming she was reminded of dancing with Dean at the Chilton dance. It just didn't feel right to dance with anyone else.

Suddenly the tears she had been denying all day came to the surface. "Excuse me." She muttered to her dance partner and then ran to the nearest door. 

She opened it and then froze, because there on the couch making out were her sister and Tristan.

"Rory." Christa said, pulling away from Tristan. "What's wrong?" 

"I have to go." Rory cried.

Christa stood up and put her arms around her sister. "Okay." She said. "Let's find Lane and we'll go."

Christa turned to Tristan. "I'll see you on Monday." She quickly took a piece of paper out of her purse and scribbled on it before handing it to Tristan. "Here's my number, give me a call."

Tristan nodded and Christa turned back to Rory.

"I didn't mean to ruin your night." Rory whispered. "I just... I need to wallow."

"I know." Christa soothed. "Let's get you home to Mom and then we'll wallow."

* * *

Lorelai had made it home from a visit to see Max--probably not the best idea, but she hadn't been able to talk herself out of it--when Rory and Christa arrived.

"Are you okay?" Lorelai asked, seeing Rory's tear-streaked face.

"I'm ready to wallow." Rory said softly.

Lorelai nodded and reached out to give Rory a hug. She lead Rory to the couch, Christa following behind, and then reached for the phone.

"Joe, this is Lorelai, I need two large pizzas with everything on it, thanks."

She hung up the phone and put her arm around Rory and her daughter snuggled into her embrace, Christa embracing her from the other side.

Lorelai wasn't sure what had pushed Rory to the point to admitting she needed to wallow, but she knew that now that it was here it was going to last a few days.

It always did and the first time was the hardest.

* * *


	20. Part Twenty: Sunday

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Twenty: Sunday

"So you and Tristan?" Rory asked Christa Sunday evening.

She'd spent the whole day wallowing and Christa had stuck around to help. She was feeling slightly better now, at least well enough for some sister talk.

Christa shrugged. "He's hot and a great kisser, but I don't think it was anything more than your typical party make-out session."

"How can you be so casual about it?" Rory asked her. "I mean, doesn't it mean anything to you?"

Christa shrugged. "It's nice."

Rory just didn't understand that attitude. "So you don't like Tristan?"

"No, I do." Christa told her. "He's by far the hottest guy at Chilton and he amuses me. If opportunity arises, I'll probably do it again, but I'm not going to sit around pining for him." Christa grinned. "Did I tell you about the guy Emily set me up with?" 

"No." Rory told her. "Grandma set you up?" 

"That's what Friday Night Dinner was." Christa told her. "It was this big set up. She had picked this super boring guy for Mom and this appropriate young man for me."

"Oh, what was he like?" Rory asked, amused by the way her sister could switch from one guy to another in the blink of an eye.

"More interesting than Emily probably knows." Christa told her. "He comes off as sulky and insolent, but once I got him away from his pompous dad and his twit of a step-mom, he was pretty cool. We're hanging out at this sub-party next week."

"So you like him?" Rory asked with a smile.

Christa shrugged. "He was cool, though don't you dare tell Emily that."

"I can't believe she set you up." Rory said, shaking her head. 

Christa shot her a look. "What's not to believe? The perfect granddaughter wasn't there, so she took the opportunity to try and fix the lives of her wayward daughter and granddaughter. Typical Emily."

* * *

"Did you have a good weekend?" Francine asked the moment Christa walked in the door.

"Yeah, it was okay." Christa said, deciding not to mention Rory's romantic troubles. It wasn't like Straub or Francine would really care.

"Remember, we 're having dinner with the Carleton's on Friday and we want you there." Francine told her. "Then the week after that, we're having the Johnsons for dinner on Friday and Saturday is the Mayfield's anniversary party."

"I remember." Christa said with a smile, thinking of the sub-party that Colin had told her would be formed at the Mayfields.

Francine smiled. "Excellent. I thought tomorrow we could go shopping for something suitable for you to wear on Saturday."

"Grandmother, you've already bought me lots of clothes." Christa told her.

"You're our granddaughter." Francine told her. "So tomorrow come straight home from school and we'll go shopping, all right?" 

Christa nodded, knowing that she couldn't get out of it. "Okay."

It wasn't that she didn't like to shop, she did, it was just that shopping with Francine wasn't really her idea of shopping. Still, maybe she could slip some decent clothes in there. Maybe.

* * *

"You okay?" Lorelai asked Rory after Christa had left. She'd given her daughters some alone time late in the afternoon and gone out to do some errands.

Rory nodded. "I think I'll be okay." 

"That's good." Lorelai said, wrapping her arm around Rory's shoulders.

"It was nice having Christa around when I needed her." Rory said after a minute. "I like having her nearby."

"So do I." Lorelai agreed with a smile. It was true, she really liked having her other daughter close by.

The only thing better would be having Christa under her roof, though she understood Christa's reasons for not wanting that. She didn't like them, but she understood. 

Besides, even if Christa wasn't living with them, at least now she was an every day part of their life and that was definitely a change for the better.

* * *


	21. Part TwentyOne: Chilton's Newest 'Couple

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Twenty-One: Chilton's Newest 'Couple'

Rory got to school on Monday and then paused. There, blocking off her locker and a couple of others were her sister and Tristan, locked in an embrace. This was definitely a new development.

"Chilton's newest couple." Louise murmured. "When did those two hook-up?" She looked at Rory, obviously directing the question at her. 

"Saturday night." Rory told them, still staring at the couple. It was slightly disturbing to watch your sister make out with her whatever, Rory refused to call Tristan Christa's boyfriend, against your locker.

"I want a boyfriend to make out with." Madeline complained.

"Ty Tolson likes you." Louise told her.

Madeline made a face. "I want a different boyfriend to make out with."

Paris turned to look at Rory. "Can you make your evil twin move so I can get to my locker?"

Rory sighed and nodded. She went over and tapped Christa's shoulder. Her sister broke away from Tristan and smiled at her. "Hey, Rory."

"Can you move this over a bit?" Rory asked. "I can't get to my locker." 

"We're done." Christa said, pulling out of Tristan's embrace.

"We are?" Tristan asked, trying to wrap his arms around her waist.

"For now, at least." Christa said, side-stepping his embrace. "I'm going to go talk to my sister."

"Meet me later?" Tristan asked. 

"If you're lucky." Christa said with a smile and then focused her attention on Rory. "How are you today?" 

"I'm okay." Rory said with a small smile, grabbing her books out of her locker. "And I see you're good." 

Christa shrugged. "You know how it is."

"Yeah." Rory said, though she wasn't sure she did. She had only ever kissed one guy in her entire life and that was Dean and she couldn't imagine just randomly making out with a guy at school. She sighed, it was just another one of those many differences between her and her twin.

* * *

Christa made her way to her locker after school. Rory had been giving her weird looks all day and Christa knew that her twin didn't approve of what had happened that morning. After all, it wasn't something Rory would do, but then that was true of mos of the things Christa did.

Still, it was her life and her twin didn't have to approve of everything she did. Christa wasn't quite sure how it had happened. She had arrived at school and the next she knew, she was making out with Tristan against a bunch of lockers.

"Hey." Tristan said, walking up to her. Speak of the devil.

"Hey." Christa echoed, leaning against her locker.

"I was thinking we could hang out." Tristan said, leaning in, his hands planted on the lockers on either side of her.

"Can't." Christa told him. "My grandmother's taking me shopping." 

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "You can't get out of it?" 

"Nope." Christa told him, then she grinned. "I might manage to cut it short though."

Tristan grinned. "Good. I'll call you." He leaned forward and kissed her. 

Christa let him for a minute and then pushed him away. "I have to go."

Tristan just grinned and then moved to let her by. Christa walked away, shaking her head. She had no idea what was going on with Tristan. Last week, he had just been a hot guy who amused her and she was convinced he still had a thing for Rory. Now, they were making out at school and...

Christa shook her head. Whatever it was, it was no big deal. So, she couldn't define it or really see where it had come from, what was new? She took it one day at a time, letting things happen however they were going to happen and this thing with Tristan was no exception, so she might as well enjoy it.

* * *


	22. Part TwentyTwo: The NonCouple

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Twenty-Two: The Non-Couple

"So you're going to be busy all weekend?" Tristan complained almost two weeks later. It was a Friday morning and he had Christa pushed up against her locker and was leaning over her.

"Pretty much." She told him, her arm entwined around his neck. "I might be able to squeeze you in on Sunday."

It had been almost two weeks since Madeline's party and she and Tristan had fallen in to some weird cycle. They made out at school and then hung out after school and made out some more and they'd spent most of the previous weekend together, even gone to a movie. Christa wouldn't say they were dating, but they were spending a lot of time lip-locked.

"Excuse me, some of us actually come here to go to class and need to get our books." Paris said from behind Tristan.

Christa giggled and scooted over, taking Tristan with her.

"Don't you two ever get sick of each other?" Paris asked. "It seems every time I turn around, you have your tongues in each other's mouths."

"Jealous?" Christa asked sweetly. 

Paris turned red. "Oh, yes, so jealous of the rampant PDAs." She muttered, but she hurried away.

"What did you say to Paris?" Rory asked, appearing out of nowhere. "I've never seen her hurry away like that."

"Just called a spade a spade." Christa said, disentangling herself from Tristan.

"I'll see you later." He said, before disappearing down the hall.

"Do you two ever stop?" Rory inquired, getting her books out of her locker.

Christa shrugged. "What can I say? He's a better kisser than conversationalist."

"What do you see in him?" Rory asked.

Christa shot her a look. "Don't you have eyes?"

"You're telling me you're dating Tristan because he's hot?" Rory asked in disbelief.

"I'm not 'dating' Tristan." Christa told her sister. "I'm... I don't know, having fun, but we're not dating."

"It looks like dating to me." Rory told her.

Christa shrugged. "Well, it's not. It's just casual."

Rory shot her a disbelieving look, but before she could comment the bell rang. "We should get to class." Rory said and

Christa nodded, glad that the conversation about Tristan was dropped. For the time being at least.

* * *

Rory didn't know whether to be amused or horrified by her sister. Most of Chilton considered Christa and Tristan a couple, yet Christa kept denying it. It was like her twin didn't know how to be in a relationship. Which, given that she had Christopher as an example might very well be true. 

Rory didn't really see the appeal of Tristan, though since he had started shoving his tongue down her sister's throat he had stopped bugging her, which was an improvement.

"So are we going to see you this weekend?" She asked Christa at the end of the day as they walked to their lockers.

Christa shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. Francine has my weekend booked." 

"She doesn't even have time to see me, isn't that right?" Tristan asked, appearing out of nowhere.

Christa gave him a look. "Yes, you're going to have to find a way to live without my beautiful face for one weekend."

Tristan turned and grinned at Rory. "Maybe, I'll ask your sister out, what do you say Mary? Want to cure my loneliness?"

"Nope." Rory answered flatly.

Tristan shrugged. "Oh well, it was worth a try." He turned back to Christa. "Sure you can't sneak away?"

"If she could, she'd come hang out with me, right?" Rory asked with a grin. "After all, I'm more fun."

Tristan smirked. "Are you so sure about that?"

Christa rolled her eyes at them both. "As much as fun as it might be to debate which one of you is more fun, I have to get going. Rory?"

Rory nodded and grabbed her books out of her locker. "Ready."

"Call me." Christa instructed Tristan, leaning in to give him a quick kiss before walking away.

Rory followed her, wondering if her sister was still deluding herself to think that she wasn't dating Tristan. After all, it certainly looked to her as if they dating, but then she wasn't Christa and if there was one thing Rory knew well, it was that with her sister things were never simple.

* * *


	23. Part TwentyThree: The SubParty

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Rating in Part One.  
_  
_A.N- First, I hope you enjoy me brining in another familiar face, I just couldn't help it, I thought it really fit. Secondly, unlike the other chapters which have switched perspective from scene to scene, this one is all Christa. Also her behaviour in this chapter might seem a little wrong, but a) it's very in character for how I see her and b) it is very realistic, at least based on my experiences as a teenager. Christa is very dysfunctional on many levels, for all that she's more pragmatic and realistic than Rory and I think that comes across here. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!  
_  
Part Twenty-Three: The Sub-Party

"Bored yet?"

Christa turned at the sound of the voice to see Colin standing behind her. It was Saturday night and she was at the Mayfield's anniversary party and it was more boring than she had expected.

"God yes." Christa muttered. "Tell me you're here to rescue me." 

"Follow me." Colin said, holding out his arm. "And be quick."

Christa took his arm and let him guide her out of the ballroom towards the Mayfield's pool house. There were several people, all about her age, gathered there already.

"Rescued another one?" A handsome blonde boy asked her.

"Logan, this is the girl I was telling you about." Colin introduced. "Christa, this is Logan Huntzberger."

"Nice to meet you." Christa said with a smile.

"Pleasure's all mine." Logan said, giving her an admiring look. "So who do you belong to?"

"She's Richard and Emily Gilmore's granddaughter." Colin said for her.

"You're here with your grandparents?" Logan asked her.

"Yes and no." Christa answered and then grinned at his confusion. "I'm here with Straub and Francine Hayden, my other grandparents. I'm living with them temporarily."

She could see that Logan looked curious, but he didn't press the subject of why she was living with her grandparents instead of her parents. 

"Christa's a veteran of the private school wars." Colin said, changing the subject as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "She's been to three in the last year and a half." 

Logan nodded approvingly. "My kind of girl, do tell?" 

Christa laughed and recounted the story of how she got kicked out of Hillsbrook. "Anyway, Headmaster Johnson just didn't appreciate the end of the year party being held in his office, though I personally thought the balloons livened the place up." She said with a laugh. "The next day our parents all got a call asking us not to come back the next year."

Logan laughed and handed her a bottle. "That story deserves a drink." 

Christa took it and felt the tequila burn her throat. She laughed when she put the bottle down. "This is definitely an improvement."

"We think so." Colin said with a grin. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the others." His arm was still around her shoulders.

Christa nodded and leaned into him, letting him lead her away.

* * *

"This is more fun than I've ever had at one of these things." Christa said, pouring back the tequila.

"Have you had to go to very many?" Colin asked, his poison of choice being the bottle of Scotch in his hands. The two of them were sitting on a couch together.

"Not really. Only when I visit my grandparents." Christa told him. "Thank God. You?" 

"Par for the course in my role as my father's heir." Colin said bitterly. "But, at least I've figured out a way to make them bearable."

"This is fun." Christa said, leaning against Colin. "I'm actually grateful to Emily, which never happens."

"Not a big fan of your grandmother?" Colin asked, running his fingers through her hair. 

"What can I say?" Christa asked. "I have amazing parents, but my grandparents... With Emily and Richard I don't measure up to my sister and I'm the embodiment of everything they hate about my mother. With Straub and Francine, I'm not me, I'm there second chance with Christopher. He screwed up, but they can mould me to be what they wanted him to be."

Christa didn't usually tell people that, but the tequila was making her feel more open, besides she just felt comfortable with Colin and she had the feeling he'd understand.

"See that's how most of us feel about our parents." Colin told her, taking another drink of the Scotch. "You should ask Logan about his sometime. Makes me like my family, listening to him."

"If I ever get a chance to meet him again, I'll do that." Christa said softly. 

"You'll get a chance." Colin assured her. "Now that we've inducted you into our little circle, we're not going to let you go."

"Is that so?" Christa asked with a giggle, leaning closer to Colin. The tequila was really starting to get to her head and make everything warm and fuzzy.

Colin didn't reply, instead he leaned forward, closing the small distance between them, and kissed her. It was a long, lingering kiss, broken only so that they could both breath.

Christa moved, not away from Colin, but closer to him, she climbed into his lap and their lips met again. He pressed her close to him, running his hands through her waist-length hair.

"Get a room you two." A voice cut through the spell and made them pull apart. Christa looked up to see Logan standing there, grinning at them.

"Straub and Francine are looking for you." He warned Christa.

"Oh, God." She said, still on Colin's lap. "I need coffee, now." 

"Robert." Logan motioned.

"Yes?" His friend asked, approaching them.

"Can you go get Christa a cup of coffee?" Logan asked him.

Robert nodded and departed.

"I'll go hold your grandparents off for a you minutes." Logan said. "After all, we wouldn't want you to get into too much trouble at your first sub-party that you couldn't back again."

* * *

Christa collapsed on her bed about half an hour later.

The coffee and the warning had helped her feign sobriety, at least until she got home, so Francine and Straub hadn't given her too hard a time. In fact, they had even complimented on her on making 'suitable friends'.

Christa thought back to the night and to Colin. More importantly, to kissing Colin. Definitely something she wanted to do again. He wasn't as hot as Tristan, but...

_Oh, God, Tristan._ She thought, suddenly sobering up at least a little bit. She had forgot about Tristan.

_It's no big deal._ She assured herself. _So I kissed Colin, so what? It's not like I'm dating Tristan or anything..._

Still, even as she told herself that, she wondered if Tristan would see it that way. After all, guys could be weird, but surely Tristan was just having fun, like she was? After all, it had only been two weeks.

Christa shook her head, she was probably worrying about nothing. Her thing with Tristan, whatever it was, wasn't serious and neither was what had happened with Colin. 

It was just fun. The sort of thing that happened when you were sixteen. It was no big deal.

* * *


	24. Part TwentyFour: Destruction of the Non

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Rating in Part One.  
_  
_A.N- This is the first chapter where I show a perspective of a character other than a Gilmore girl, I just thought it fit. Also, again this is Christa-centric, but Lorelai and Rory will return in the next chapter, I promise. That's all for now, enjoy!  
_  
Part Twenty-Four: Destruction of the Non-Relationship

"So how was the thing last night?" Tristan asked the next day. He'd cajoled and Christa had agreed to come over to his house for a little while to 'study'.

"Boring." She said with a shrug, deciding not to mention the sub-party.

"Ah, didn't you have fun?" Tristan teased, kissing the side of her neck.

She made a face. "Fun? At a party my grandparents made me go to?" 

Tristan laughed. "Yes, what was I thinking." He leaned in and kissed her. "Well, I guess we need to make up for that."

Christa felt a little bad lying to him, but telling him about the sub-party would lead to telling him about Colin and she had decided she wasn't going to do that. After all, it wasn't like it was a big deal or anything. Besides, it wasn't really a lie, the actual party had been **really **boring.

"How are we going to do that?" She asked, tilting her face to look at him.

Tristan captured her lips with his own. "Like that."

"Aren't we supposed to be studying?" Christa teased, motioning to the books that lay on the floor of Tristan's room.

"Wouldn't you rather do this?" Tristan asked, kissing her again. It was a long, powerful kiss. One that left her a little breathless.

"That is definitely good." Christa said after a moment, pulling him towards her again. She knew that they _should _be studying, after all she had a ton of homework and was sure that he did too, but... Well, who would be doing homework when they could be making out with Tristan, instead?

_Rory would_. A little voice in her head pointed out, but she ignored it. After all, maybe Rory would do the right thing, but that was why Rory was the brain in the family and she, Christa, was not. Besides, she wasn't Rory.

Christa deepened the kiss with Tristan and all thoughts of homework and her sister fled her mind for the time being.

* * *

"I have to go to the bathroom." Christa said, pulling away from Tristan about twenty minutes later. "I'll be right back."

"You better." Tristan said teasingly as she got up. "I'll be counting the minutes."

Christa laughed. "I'll hurry."

With that she slipped out of the room. Tristan leaned back on his bed and then reached down to pick up his biology book. He figured he might as well flip through it while he was waiting, since he doubted that he was going to get any studying down while Christa was around.

Just then, he heard a ringing sound, coming from Christa's purse. He figured it was her cell. He was going to just let it ring, but then he thought about it and decided to answer it. Christa said she'd be back in a minute and he could just see who it was and hold the call until she got back. After all, he figured it was probably just her mother or Rory--Christa was all talking to them.

So, he grabbed her purse and took her phone out. "Hello?"

"Hello?" A male voice asked on the other end. "I think I might have the wrong number. Is this Christa Hayden's phone?"

"Yes..." Tristan said slowly. "Who's this?"

Why was some guy calling Christa? Tristan knew it could be completely innocent, yet his gut was telling him it wasn't. The guy sounded too young to be her father and a little too startled to hear a male voice answer. 

"It's Colin." The guy on the other end introduced himself. "Is Christa there?"

"Not at the moment." Tristan answered flatly. "Can I take a message?" 

"Just tell her that she left her purse in the poolhouse last night, but it's okay because I've got it." Colin told him, his voice confident. "Tell her to give me a call. She knows my number."

With that he hung up. Tristan stared at the phone. What was going on?

* * *

"Two minutes, did you time me?" Christa asked as she returned to Tristan's room. She froze in his doorway when she saw him on the bed, holding her cellphone.

"Who's Collin?"

She blinked. "What?"

"Who's Collin?" Tristan repeated. "And why were you in the poolhouse with him last night?" 

"He's a guy, I know." Christa told him. "He was at the thing last night, we held a sub-party in the pool house. Why?"

"He called. He has your purse." Tristan told her.

Christa nodded, she'd noticed that morning that the evening bag she'd had with her was missing and she'd alerted Francine, but it relieved her to know that Collin had grabbed it for her.

"Why didn't you mention the sub-party when I asked?" Tristan inquired.

"I just didn't think it was a big deal." She told him. "God, Tristan, what is this, the Spanish Inquisition?" She glared at him. "Why were you answering my phone in the first place?"

Tristan shrugged. "I thought since you'd be gone only a minute I'd grab it, so you didn't have to call whoever it was back later. I didn't expect it to be some guy."

"Why do you even care?" Christa asked him. "It's not like your boyfriend or anything. We're just having fun."

"So you did do something with that guy." Tristan said flatly.

"So what if I did?" Christa asked him with a shrug. "It was no big deal. I mean, I don't care if you see other girls."

Tristan stared at her. "You really don't, do you?"

"No." Christa said honestly. "Why should I?"

Tristan just shook his head. "You should go."

"Fine." Christa said, grabbing her books from the floor and taking her phone and purse from him. "Whatever."

She couldn't believe Tristan was taking this so seriously, it wasn't like it was important or anything. But, whatever, she didn't care, there were plenty of fish in the ocean.

In fact, Christa decided as she left Tristan's, that she'd give Collin a call and see about picking up her purse.

* * *


	25. Part TwentyFive: The Fallout

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Twenty-Five: The Fallout

Rory was surprised when she got to school on Monday, for the first time in two weeks, Christa and Tristan weren't pressed against the lockers. Christa was there, obviously waiting for her, but Tristan was nowhere in sight. 

"Where's Tristan?" Rory asked her. "I thought he was attached to you at the lips."

"He's off sulking." Christa told her.

"Sulking?" Rory asked with a frown.

Christa rolled her eyes. "He's upset because I kissed Colin on Saturday night."

"Well, I would be too." Rory said quietly. "You guys were kinda..." 

"We weren't dating." Christa said in a irritated voice. "I just don't see the big deal."

Rory saw that she honestly didn't. She sighed, not wanting to get into a fight with Christa. But the truth was, this was a case where she and sister were just **not** going to agree.

"You have to come to Friday Night Dinner this week." Rory announced, changing the subject.

"Why would I want to do that?" Christa asked, giving her sister a look.

"Our great-grandmother is coming over from England." Rory told her. "She'll want to meet you."

Christa made a face. "Another Gilmore relative. Wonderful."

Rory decided to sweeten the deal. "Grandma can't stand her." She told her twin. "Just learning that she coming put her in a tizzy."

Just like Rory had expected, the news had an instant effect on Christa. She grinned. "Maybe this won't be so bad after all." She said with a small chuckle. "All right, I'll go."

Rory shook her head. "You're just as bad as Mom." She accused. "Mention the idea of Grandma in discomfort and you get all gleeful."

Christa shrugged. "There's just some tantalising about that image. I can't help it."

Rory was about to say something when the bell rang.

"Come on, let's get to class." Rory said with a sigh, as usual left wondering how she and Christa could be related, let alone from the same womb. It really boggled the mind.

* * *

  
Christa decided that someone hated her. That day in Government they got assigned to a major group project and her group consisted of Paris, Rory, Madeline, Louise, Tristan and two guys she didn't know. Tristan wasn't talking to her, Paris hated her guts, Madeline and Louise were brainless, and Rory was still disapproving. Perfect.

"I think that the basic structure of the Elizabethan government is relatively sound." Paris announced, taking charge right away, to no one's surprise. "The division of power between the monarchy, the privy council and the parliament all seem to work. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Madeline echoed.

"Ditto." Louise said in a bored voice.

Christa wondered if they _ever_ disagreed with Paris. Somehow she doubted it.

"Ok, so in establishing our own government, I think duplicating a similar structure would be good, with a few alterations." Paris told them all. "Queen Elizabeth chose to remain unwed. She took on the burden of leadership all by herself at a time when possibly marrying the Prince of France or the King of Spain would solidify her thrown while expanding her empire. And though it obviously worked for her, and the concept of a woman ruling without man is certainly politically correct these days, I think we need to take a different tact."

Christa could see Madeline and Louise whispering to themselves, obviously paying no attention to Paris' rant.

"I think we need to devise a nation with a truly solidified royal alliance..." Paris continued.

"She does know this is a make belief government right?" Madeline whispered.

"You ask her." Louise said with a smirk. "I'm afraid."

"So in addition to the different political branches, weíll also need a King and Queen." Paris announced, ignoring Madeline and Louise. "Christa, Tristan, what about you?"

"Us?" Tristan asked, looking apprehensive.

"No way." Christa stated flatly.

Paris gave her a coy look. "I thought you'd like being Queen and you guys don't seem to have a problem with togetherness, unless there's a new development?" 

"I just don't feel like the Queen type." Christa stated. "Make Rory Queen."

"Me?" Rory asked, blinking. "Um..."

"Fine." Paris stated. "Rory, you're Queen, Tristan's King."

"I'll be the lady-in-waiting." Louise announced. "The one with the low-cut blue velvet renaissance dress."

Paris rolled her eyes. "Lady-in-waiting is not a political office." 

"No, but they get all the sex." Louise told her. 

"Then you should like that." Tristan told Christa, giving her a look.

She glared at him.

Paris looked at them all in agitation. "We are talking about government class not the movies." She stated. "God, why can't I get one person to care about this as much as I do!"

"Because you don't share your drugs." Christa murmured under her breath. 

Louise laughed until Paris shot her a look. "Ok fine." Louise muttered. "I'll be the head of the Quarter Sessions court, but Iím still wearing the dress. Happy?"

"Out of my mind." Paris told her, rolling her eyes. "Ok, so I secured us the classroom to work everyday after school and on Saturday and Sunday so that by next Monday we'll be ready." 

Christa stared at Paris. She wasn't serious, was she? 

"We're working all week and all weekend?" Madeline asked in disbelief.

"You have to be kidding." Louise muttered. Just then the bell rang.

"Take this." Paris said, handing them all a piece of paper. "It's an outline for the entire system--point of methods, some basic laws and penalties plus some random ideas. Please be ready to discuss it as soon as the bell rings, donít be late."

* * *

Rory had a feeling that this was going to be a long week. Her sister and Tristan weren't talking and Paris was in typical form. She'd actually handed Rory a manifesto to look over.

On her way back to her locker as the bell rang at the end of the day, Rory spotted Tristan. "Hey, can I talk to you?" She asked.

He shot her a look. "Why?" 

"Because I like the sound of my own voice." She said sarcastically. "Because I want to talk to you." 

"Fine." Tristan said with a sigh. He followed Rory down the hall out to the courtyard. "So, you wanted to talk?" Tristan asked when they were outside.

"I just... I guess I wanted to apologise for my sister." Rory said quietly. She had felt awkward about doing that, but she really did feel bad for Tristan and she thought Christa was wrong.

"It's not a problem." Tristan told her. "It's not like I'm heartbroken or anything."

"It still wasn't nice." Rory told him quietly.

"I think Iím going to swear off girls for a while." Tristan told her.

Rory laughed. "What?"

Tristan asked, giving her a look. "Uh, sorry, nothing." Rory said with a smirk. "You said you were going to swear off girls--it's funny."

"You don't think I can?" Tristan asked with a grin.

"No, I think you can." Rory said, though she was kind of doubtful it was possible. "I just think it would be hard for you." She sighed, she was loyal to Christa, they were twins, yet...

"Maybe you don't need to swear off girls, but swear off a certain kind of girl." Rory said softly.

"Meaning?" Tristan asked.

"I love my sister." Rory told him. "But... Christa is Christa, she's not the girlfriend type. You need someone more stable... Maybe someone like Paris."

Tristan stared at her. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, why not?" Rory asked him. "Paris is smart and cute and interesting and yes she does bring her own unique set of baggage into the mix."

"A matching set." Tristan joked.

"But she likes you." Rory pointed out. "She's crazy about you. She thinks you're amazing."

"You want me to date Paris?" Tristan asked her.

Rory knew it sounded kind of crazy, but why not try it? "Just think about it." She told him.

She silently wondered if Christa was going to kill her for interfering, but it wasn't like Christa was really interested in Tristan and Paris was.

"Me and Paris." Tristan said, exhaling loudly. 

"Just think about it." Rory told him, wondering if he would actually seriously ask Paris out. It would probably make her year if that happened.


	26. Part TwentySix: The Gilmore Family War

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Twenty-Six: Gilmore Family War

"You told Tristan to ask Paris out?" Christa asked in disbelief as she drove Rory home.

Rory shrugged. "Yeah, I thought..."

"Why were you even talking to Tristan?" Christa demanded. "Did he ask you for romantic advice?"

"No." Rory said quietly.

"Then why did you interfere?" Christa asked angrily. "What made you feel like it was a good idea to go to talk to Tristan?"

"I felt bad for him." Rory told her. "I just... You were wrong."

"It's **my **life, Rory, not yours." Christa told her. "I made no promises, I didn't do anything I said I wouldn't."

"Well, you still treated Tristan badly." Rory told her. "And I felt bad for him."

"So you told him to ask _Paris_ out?" Christa demanded.

"She likes him." Rory said quietly. "Why do you care, you have Colin."

"Just stay out of my life from now on." Christa said angrily, as she pulled up at the house. "

Sorry, I wanted to help Tristan." Rory told her.

"Oh, because the two of you are the best of friends." Christa said sarcastically.

Rory just rolled her eyes and got out of the car. "You coming in?" 

"No." Christa told her flatly. "I'm not in the mood to socialize."

Rory sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Whatever." Christa said and then backed out of the driveway.

She sped away, seething. She couldn't believe Rory had interfered like that. She knew she and her sister didn't always agree on everything, but... Christa's love life was none of Rory's business and she had no right to get involved. Sometimes Christa wished feverently that she was an only child.

* * *

"Christa didn't want to come in?" Lorelai asked when she came home from work. 

"No." Rory said flatly.

"What's wrong?" Lorelai asked her.

Rory sighed. "Christa's mad at me because I told Tristan he should ask Paris out." 

Lorelai stared at her. "What?" She took the seat next to Rory. "Weren't Christa and Tristan..."

"Well she made out with that guy Colin on Saturday." Rory said, wondering if she should be telling her mother this, but wanting to explain the problem. "So, I felt bad for Tristan."

"So you told him to ask Paris out?" Lorelai asked, as if she was trying to process it.

"She really likes him." Rory defended.

Lorelai sighed.

"What?" Rory asked.

"Honey, I don't think you should've interfered." Lorelai told her quietly. "Christa's life is her own." 

"But, she was wrong." Rory said, upset that her mother didn't seem to be seeing where she was coming from.

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Rory, Christa's way of doing things might not be yours, but it should be her choice."

Rory looked at her. "Do you approve?"

Lorelai sighed. "Honey... Christa is Christa... She's young, she'll make her own mistakes." 

"But she was making out with Tristan and then with Colin and, it's wrong." Rory said, wanting her mother to understand where she was coming from.

"Just because you wouldn't do it, doesn't make it wrong." Lorelai told her softly. "Did Christa say she and Tristan were dating?"

"No." Rory admitted. "In fact, she kept insisting they weren't, but..."

"Rory, leave it." Lorelai told her softly. "This is your sister's thing, it has nothing to do with you, stay out of it, okay?"

"Okay." Rory said sulkily. Was she the only one who saw how wrong Christa's behaviour was?

* * *

Lorelai knew Rory was a little irritated at her for siding with Christa. It wasn't that Lorelai approved of Christa's behaviour, because she didn't, but it was Christa's life. She was sixteen and while, Lorelai at sixteen had been a one-guy girl, she knew it was normal to date lots of guys casually.

While Rory did her homework, Lorelai decided to call Christa to check up on her. "Hello?"

"Is Miss Hayden there?" Lorelai asked, she didn't recognise the voice so she assumed it belonged to the maid.

"One minute."

"Hello?" Christa said a minute later. 

"Hey babe." Lorelai said with a smile.

"Hi Mom." Christa said. "What's up?"

"I heard you and Rory had a fight." Lorelai said, deciding to dive right in.

"Did she tell you what she did?" Christa asked her.

"Yes, she did." Lorelai said with a sigh. "I already told her she was wrong."

"Thanks." Christa said softly, she sighed. "She made me feel like a harlot."

"Oh, honey." Lorelai said softly. "You and Rory are very different in a lot of ways and sometimes, you just don't understand each other."

Christa was silent. "She told him to ask _Paris_ out."

"I heard." Lorelai said with a chuckle. "I can understand why you'd be upset, but just, don't be too angry at your sister, okay?" 

"You're such a mom." Christa told her softly. 

"Pretty much full-time." Lorelai told her. "Just give her a break ok, kid? Sometimes the two of you are just on entirely different wavelengths."

"Okay." Christa said and Lorelai could hear her rolling her eyes. "I have to do my homework."

"Okay." Lorelai said, knowing that it was just an excuse to get off the phone. "I love you, Babe."

"I love you too." Christa said and then hung up.

Lorelai hung up the phone and sighed, wondering if she had gotten through to either of her daughter's or whether the next Cold War was about to commence between the Gilmore-Hayden twins.

* * *


	27. Part TwentySeven: Meeting Trix

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Twenty-Seven: Meeting Trix

"You two are horrible." Rory scolded as she, her mother, and Christa prepared to leave for Friday Night dinner.

Christa was talking to her again, thankfully, though it had been a stilted week and Rory could tell that her sister was still a little irritated with her. For her part, she still thought Christa had treated Tristan badly, but they had an unspoken agreement not to discuss it since they weren't going to agree.

"What?" Christa asked innocently. "I'm just eager to meet my great-grandmother for the first time." 

"Yeah," Lorelai echoed, "and I'm eager to see my grandmother for the first time in years."

"No, the two of you want to go to see Grandma uncomfortable." Rory corrected and frowned at them. "That's mean."

"Rory, you all jump to the worst conclusion." Lorelai said, shaking her head. "I haven't seen my grandmother in years and I'm looking forward to seeing her again."

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that Grandma hates Great-grandma?" Rory asked suspiciously.

"Not at all." Lorelai told her. 

Christa shrugged. "I'll admit, that's why I'm going." Rory shot her sister a look. "Mean."

Christa shrugged. "Come on, tell me you're not at all eager to see Grandma freak out."

"Not at all." Rory told her. "Because I'm not mean."

Her mother and sister just shrugged and grabbed their coats. Rory sighed and followed them out the door. "I'm serious, I'm the only nice member of this family."

* * *

Lorelai had to admit that she enjoyed her mother's discomfort. Emily was definitely on the edge as she opened the door and ushered the three of them inside. 

Emily lead them into the living room. "Mom, look who's here." Emily said, with a nervous smile.

"Who?" The older lady sitting regally in a chair asked, not taking her eyes away from her newspaper.

"Well, look." Emily told her. "If I wanted to look, I would look." Trix told her. "I haven't looked therefore you must draw your own conclusions." 

Richard came by and handed her a drink.

"Ah, thank you, dear boy." She said, still not looking up.

"You're welcome, Trix." Richard said fondly.

"Trix?" Christa whispered.

"Dad's pet name for Gran." Lorelai told her.

"Isn't it just darling?" Emily murmured sarcastically.

"Hi, Gran." Lorelai said with a smile, stepping forward.

"Lorelai." Trix acknowledged, putting down her paper.

"Yes." Lorelai said. "It's so good to see you again."

"Trix, this is Rory and this is Christa." Richard introduced, putting an arm around each girl. "You haven't met them yet."

"No, I don't believe I have." Trix said and she looked at them both consideringly.

"Hello." Rory said shyly.

"Hi." Christa said, her tone slightly bored.

"Come." Trix instructed imperiously. "I want to get a good look at all three of you." She turned to Richard. "They're tall." 

"Well, yes they are." Richard agreed, sounding a little surprised.

"How's your health?" Trix inquired.

"Oh, good." Lorelai answered.

"Very healthy." Rory told him.

"No problems." Was Christa's response.

"Good." Trix told them. "That means that the majority of your blood is Gilmore blood. Gilmore's don't get sick. Am I right, Richard?"

"Oh, we wouldn't dare, Trix." Richard said with a grin.

"That's right." Trix agreed and then continued, "your mother is always sick."

"I'm hardly always sick." Emily protested.

"You're sick right now." Trix said, her voice dismissive.

"Are you sick now, Mom?" Lorelai asked, turning to look at her mother.

"Headache." Emily answered tightly. Gran related, no doubt, Lorelai was sure. 

"Gilmore's don't have headaches, our heads are perfect." Trix announced, then looked at Lorelai. "You don't drink?" 

"Uh, well..." Lorelai stuttered, not sure what the proper response to that would be.

"Oh, I'll do it." Richard told her.

"Thanks Dad." Lorelai said, smiling at him. "White wine." Richard nodded and went to get her drink.

"I'm going to go get the hors díouevres." Emily announced, obviously eager to escape if only for a few minutes. 

"So you're Rory." Trix said, focusing on Rory and ignoring Emily's statement.

"Yes ma'am." Rory answered.

"My son speaks of you constantly." Trix told her. "He seems very fond of you."

"Oh, well, I'm very fond of him too." Rory said genuinely.

"This little girl is as smart as a whip, Mom." Richard said, handing Lorelai her drink as he addressed his mother. "I think she has a great deal of you in her."

"Really?" Trix said, looking at Rory consideringly.

"Oh, yes." Richard told her.

"How nice." Trix said, as Emily entered the room with a tray of cheese. "Is that cheese?" 

"Yes, it is." Emily answered her.

"Am I supposed to eat that cheese?" Trix inquired.

"Well, only if you'd like." Emily said awkwardly.

"Emily, where are those spiced nuts that Trix likes so much?" Richard inquired.

"I'll get some." Emily said with a sigh.

Lorelai was actually starting to feel bad for her mother.

"Christa, correct?" Trix asked, honing in on the other twin.

"That's right." Christa answered, her voice slightly bored.

"You don't live with your mother, do you?" Trix asked.

"No." Christa told her. "I don't. Right now I'm living with my other grandparents, but normally I live with my father."

Trix frowned at her. "Is there a reason you have your hair done in that ridiculous style?"

Christa grinned. "Yeah, because I like it."

Trix just nodded and then focused on Lorelai. "So, Lorelai, since I've seen you last, you've grown up, gotten pregnant out of wedlock, had two children and still haven't bothered to get married." Trix stated bluntly. "Have I left anything out?"

"Well, sometime between growing up and getting pregnant, I got my ears pierced." Lorelai quipped.

"I've always hated scandal." Trix stated. "However Iíve always appreciated self-sufficiency. Tell me, how do you supported Rory?"

"I run an inn." Lorelai told her.

"Hard work?" Trix inquired. 

"Yes it is." Lorelai stated.

"Good." Trix told her. "Hard work is good for a woman--makes her stronger. I admire people who enjoy hard work."

"Here we go, spiced nuts." Emily, entering the room carrying the nuts. 

"Thank you, Emily." Trix said, her voice dismissing. "I suppose I can just put these nuts in my hand." 

"I'll be right back." Emily said, running out of the room again.

"So Gran, um, when was the last time I saw you?" Lorelai asked awkwardly.

"You were still in your teens." Trix stated. "Wild hair flying everywhere, though yours at least was all one colour."

Lorelai didn't know what to say and Christa just smiled, as if she was amused. Lorelai had to admit, nothing ever seemed to phase that kid of hers.

"I have dishes and napkins." Emily said, returning to the room once more.

"Good for you." Trix told her, standing up. "Richard, I would like to be escorted into the dining room now."

"Your wish is my command." Richard told her, taking her arm.

"Well, uh, I'm not sure that dinner is ready yet." Emily said awkwardly.

"Well perhaps our presence in the dining room will teach your help that when is told dinner is at 7:00, people often expects dinner at 7:00." Trix said bitingly.

"But it's only five after, Mom." Emily protested. "Only five after?" Trix said, her voice dismissing. "Richard in the event that I am kidnapped and a ransom is demanded at a certain time, I would prefer that Emily not be in charge of the drop off." 

With that, she and Richard walked out of the room. Lorelai and her girls got up to follow, but before she did, Lorelai gave her mother a sympathetic look, actually starting to feel bad for. 

Almost.

* * *

Christa thought her great-grandmother was actually pretty amusing. Though a little mean. Christa wondered if she should feel sorry for Emily, being at the receiving end of all those acid little comments, but she decided that she didn't. It was Emily, after all.

"Grandma, this dinner's delicious." Rory, always the nice one, compliment with a smile.

"Very good young lady, we all believe you." Trix told her. "Now, let's talk about your education. Where are you attending school?"

"Chilton." Rory answered her. "Christa and I both go there."

"Rory is in the top ten percent of her class." Richard said proudly, not mentioning the fact that Christa was decidedly not.

Trix took the news and frowned consideringly. "Now, if you don't mind my asking, Chilton is a rather an expensive institution." Trix stated. "I'm assuming that Christa's father or his family is taking care of her tuition, but I'm sure you're taking care of Rory's and I'm curious how the manager of an inn can afford such a luxury." Trix definitely cut right to the chase.

"Ah, well..." Lorelai said awkwardly.

"We're helping Lorelai out a little." Emily volunteered, jumping into the conversation. 

"Yes, we've seen to it that Rory's education is taken care of." Richard added. Once again, she herself was left out, but of course that was nothing new and in this case, her education was being taken care of her elsewhere.

"But it's only temporary." Lorelai insisted. "It's a loan. I plan to pay them back every cent. They know this."

"That's it, I'm done, Richard." Trix said, putting down her utensils and standing up. "Tomorrow, Rory, Christa, I shall plan the menu. When youíve lived in Europe you learn a thing or two about food."

"I can't come." Christa told her. "Rory and I have this big study group thing and then I have a date." 

Christa saw no reason to lie. She did have a date, well not a date, really, but she was going to a party with Colin and the others. He'd asked her about it on Sunday, when she'd called him back and she'd thought it sounded like fun.

"Christa!" Emily scolded her.

"Emily, leave the poor girl alone." Trix told her. "She's at an age where it is appropriate to have a social life. Rory, will you be able to make it?"

"No." Rory told her. "I have a lot of homework and the study group will take up most of the day."

"Very well." Trix stated. "Your mother can tell you all about it." 

Christa could see Lorelai making a face, when she realized that she would be there without back up.

"I will, I promise." Lorelai told them.

"Won't you have dessert?" Emily inquired.

"I once travelled to a small village in Cambodia, I did not eat dessert there either." Trix said, leaving the dining room, and that was that.


	28. Part TwentyEight: Saterday Morning Happe

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Twenty-Eight: Saturday Morning Happenings

Rory walked into the classroom, the next day, carrying a tray full of coffee and a box of donuts. It was eight o'clock and the morning and Rory suspected that only she and Paris would be truly functional this early on a Saturday, so coffee would definitely be a good thing.

"Hey." She greeted, seeing Louise lying across several desks and Madeline with her head buried in a magazine. Paris was sorting through her notes and Christa was slumped in a chair, with her eyes closed. 

"Wow, did you bring coffee?" Madeline asked her eagerly.

"And doughnuts in the shape of clowns." Rory confirmed with a smile.

"Hey they've got hats!" Madeline exclaimed, opening the box.

"Well, a clown just isn't a clown with a hat." Rory told her, then turned to her sister. "Hey sleepyhead, here's your caramel machiatto with an extra shot."

"Your my favourite sister." Christa said, taking the coffee without opening her eyes.

"I'm your only sister." Rory said, rolling her eyes before she turned to Paris. "Here is your decaf with soy milk."

"Thanks." Paris told her, taking the coffee.

"You're welcome." Rory said genuinely. "So, I read your doctrine and I thing our imaginary kingdom is off to a pretty good start."

"Yeah?" Paris asked eagerly.

"Yeah." Rory confirmed. "I mean the taxes are a little high and the landownerís power should be regulated a little more."

"It was a different time back then." Paris pointed out.

"Yeah, but the fundamental human needs were the same." Rory argued. 

"We're supposed to set it up within--" Paris began, but Louise cut her off.

"Ding, ding, ding." She interrupted. "No debating until I've had coffee."

"And a clown." Madeline said perkily, handing Louise a doughnut. 

"Ladies." Tristan greeted, as he and the other two guys in their group entered the room.

"Hi Tristan!" Madeline exclaimed perkily.

"Hey." Rory greeted. 

Christa stayed completely silent, not even looking at Tristan.

"Paris, can I talk to you for a sec?" He asked, focusing on Paris.

"Oh, sure ok." She said, looking confused. She stood up and followed Tristan out of the classroom.

"And that is about what pray tell?" Louise asked as soon as they were gone.

"I don't know." Madeline said with a shrug. "The project maybe."

Rory had a pretty good idea, she thought that Tristan might be following her advice and because of that she purposely avoided looking at her sister.

"They couldíve talked project here." Louise pointed out. "Itís something else. Something private. Something he doesn't want discussed in front of his ex, maybe."

This was said with a look at Christa. Rory didn't follow her gaze, since she was sure her sister was still mad at her.

"Scandal." Madeline said in an excited tone.

"Maybe." Louise agreed. "Though it _is_ Paris."

"Scandal-lite." Madeline said after a moment.

"All the taste, but much fewer calories." Louise quipped.

"We could spy." Madeline suggested. "Or we could wait for her to come back and see if she wants us to know." Rory told them.

Louise gave her a disdainful look. "Those who simply wait for information to find them, spend a lot of time sitting by the phone." She informed her. "Those who go out and find it themselves, have something to say when it rings."

"Neitzsche?" Rory guessed sarcastically.

"Dawson." Louise told her.

"My next guess." Rory muttered.

Paris came back in.

"So, what was with the confab in the hallway?" Louise demanded. 

"We're dying here." Madeline added.

"Well, Tristan, he... asked me out." Paris said shyly.

Rory was glad that Tristan had taken her advice. She cast a look at her sister and saw that Christa's face was expressionless.

"No!" Madeline exclaimed in disbelief.

"My, my, my." Louise, casting a good look over Paris. "Who would have thought?"

"Wow, this is so amazing." Madeline announced. "God, I'm jealous."

"Details please." Louise demanded. "Don't leave anything out. We want every comma, apostrophe and ampersand."

"Well, he just asked me out." Paris told her, obviously not good with the details thing.

Truthfully, neither was Rory, that was more Christa's kind of thing. She could remember every single date detail and recite it at will, Lorelai could too. Rory figured it was a gift.

"When?" Madeline demanded.

"Tonight." Paris told her.

"Hmm." Louise said dismissingly. 

"What?" Paris asked anxiously.

"Nothing." Louise told her unconvincingly.

Rory frowned at her, was she trying to ruin this for Paris?

"No, you 'hmm'ed." Paris insisted. "Why did you 'hmm'?"

"Forget it." Louise told her with a shrug.

"Louise, tell me why you 'hmm'ed." Paris demanded.

"He asked you out for tonight." Louise pointed out.

"Less than 24 hours notice." Madeline added.

"So?" Paris asked. "What does that mean?"

"Usually that someone else cancelled." Louise told her.

"Tristan's terrible about giving proper notice." Christa said, speaking for the first time. "He's always very spur of the moment, expecting you to be automatically free because he is."

Louise looked like the wind had been taken out of her sails. "Oh, well then."

Rory smiled at her sister, proud of her for coming to Paris' defence, though honestly surprised that she had, since it wasn't really a Christa thing to do.

"This is so amazing." Louise stated, obviously dropping the timing angle. "I mean, you are **so** far from Tristan's type."

"So, _so_ far." Madeline agreed.

"Tristan usually likes his girls bad." Louise continued, then shot Christa a fake smile. "No offence, Christa."

"None taken." Christa told her flatly. "But don't we have a project to be doing?"

"Yes, we do." Paris said, seeming eager for the out. "Come on, everyone, let's get to work."

* * *


	29. Part TwentyNine: Preparation

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Twenty-Nine: Preparation

Christa wondered what had made her step up to defend from Louise's sugar-coated attack. She didn't like Paris and she was resentful that Rory had suggested Tristan ask her out.

However, her impulse had been to jump in. Maybe because she disliked Louise more than she disliked Paris. Paris was _intense_ and could be bitchy, but Louise was bitchy in a much more subtle, deliberately hurtful way.

That said, Christa was still pissed that Tristan was going out with Paris. She still didn't see why he was so upset with her. So, she'd kissed Collin, so what. It wasn't a big deal.

Just then her cellphone rang. "Hello?"

"Christa?"

"Yeah." Christa answered, not recognising the voice.

"This is Logan." The voice on the other end introduced. "Colin gave me your number."

"Oh, hello Logan." Christa said, picturing the good-looking blonde guy in her mind.

"Colin said you were coming to the party tonight." Logan told her.

"Yeah, it sounded like fun." Christa told him. "Why?'

"Well since the party's at Colin's, it makes no sense for him to leave and then go back and of everyone else, I live the closest to you." Logan told her. "So we thought my driver could swing by and pick you up? Since I doubt you want to drive."

"No, that would be bad." Christa agreed with a slight laugh. "That sounds fine."

She knew some girls might be annoyed by having their escort changed at the last minute, but it didn't bother her. After all, she didn't care who took her to the party, as long as she had fun once she got there.

Besides, it wasn't like she had taken anything romantic from the invitation--it wasn't a date, just a chance to party, perhaps even an invitation to join their circle, which appealed to her more than any romantic liaison might.

She thought Colin was hot and all and wasn't opposed to the idea of hooking up with him at some point, but she wasn't in the market for a boyfriend. She just wasn't the type.

Look at how she'd handled the Tristan thing. No, Rory might be the boyfriend type, but she, Christa, most certainly was not. She just didn't have it in her.

* * *

Rory was sitting on the couch, studying and eating cake, when the doorbell rang. Rory frowned, wondering who it could be. She got up from the couch to answer it and was stunned to see Paris standing there, holding a bunch of clothes. 

"I don't know to wear." She said frantically.

"Ever?" Rory asked, looking at the rather dismal selection Paris held up.

"On my date with Tristan." Paris told her. "I'm not a trendy girl, ok? I don't haunt the boutiques hoping to find that one fabulous little top. I study and then I think about studying and then I study some more."

"Do you want to come in?" Rory invited. She herself was a lot like that--except, she had Lorelai and Christa to help her out.

"I only have one lipstick at home, ok?" Paris told her, stepping inside. "And it's barely even a colour. You put it on and it looks like youíre not wearing anything which is why I liked it in the first place. But to date you need the fabulous little top and you need a lipstick that you can actually tell you're wearing."

"Do you want to put that stuff down?" Rory invited, motioning to the stuff in Paris' arms.

"You said once if I ever needed to talk to anyone I could come talk to you." Paris reminded her.

"Yes I did." Rory confirmed. "Well, here I am." Paris told her.

"Ok, can I ask you a question?" Rory asked, a little surprised that Paris had come to her.

"Ok." Paris told her.

"Why didn't you go to Madeline or Louise about this?" Rory asked her. "I mean, they seem to really get that 'fabulous little top' thing."

"Oh, yeah _that_ they get." Paris told her. "The whole supportive 'You're going to be fine and not throw up 12 times on the way to his car' thing? That they don't get."

Rory nodded. She could see that. "Ok, let's see what you've got." Rory said, motioning ot the clothes in Paris' arms.

"I brought everything just in case there was some sort of hidden potential in something that I just didnít see." Paris said, laying all the clothes down. "So?"

Rory looked at the offering in dismay. First, she was horrified at the idea that what was in front of her was 'everything' and also, it was just... Somebody definitely needed to take Paris shopping.

"Well you'd be one well dressed widow." Rory quipped.

"Forget it." Paris said, looking panicked. "I'm not going."

"Yes, you are." Rory said sternly. "Come on now. This is your entire wardrobe?"

"Yes." Paris confirmed.

Rory had been afraid fo that. "_Nothing_'s left at home?" Rory pressed.

"Nothing but my Chilton uniform and my bat mitzvah dress which has menorahs on the collar." Paris told her.

Rory sighed. That wasn't good. "Ok, let's think." She said, then the idea suddenly hit her. "Come on." She head towards the stairs, and motioned for Paris to follow.

"Where are you going?" Paris asked.

"To our one stop shopping store." She lead Paris up the stairs towards her mother's room.

"Is this your mother's room?" Paris asked, looking around.

"Yes, it is." Rory confirmed.

"I can't wear your mother's clothes." Paris stated.

"Yes, you can." Rory told her. "Christa and I do it all the time. Mom's got a great wardrobe, anything you'd ever need."

She pulled a pink blouse out. "What about this?"

"My mother says that pink makes my head look small." Paris informed her.

"Ok, no pink." Rory decided, putting the blouse back.

"This whole thing is so insane." Paris told her.

"Why?" Rory asked, still rifling through the closet.

"Tristan asking me out?" Paris said, shaking her head. "Why would he do that?"

"Why would he **not** do that?" Rory countered. "Because he's gorgeous and experienced and only dates those most likely to become a trophy wife." Paris retorted, then made a face. "I'm sorry, I know Christa's your sister, but... She's definitely the kind of girl who understands that whole 'fabulous little top' thing."

"Yes, she is." Rory agreed with a smile. "But, there's more to life than that. Tristan would be lucky to go out with someone like you."

"All these years I've hoped that would happen and now it has and I feel...I don't know." Paris told her. "I don't have a lot of experience in the dating department. I mean if you canít put it on your transcript whatís the point right?"

Rory laughed. That statement was so typically Paris. But it kinda summed of her own philosophy. At least her philosophy before Dean.

"I know." Rory told her. "Before Dean I'd never had a boyfriend. Or a kiss. Christa was the one that dated, not me. I stayed home and read."

"Yeah." Paris echoed.

"I never even thought about dating." Rory told her.

"Then you met Dean." Paris said softly.

"Yeah." Rory agreed, silently reflecting over the fact that it was easier to relate to _Paris_ than to Christa, at least when it came to the subject of dating. "And he was so special and nice and made me completely nauseous."

"The best ones do." Paris told her seriously and Rory had no doubt that was how she felt about Tristan. She wondered for a minute if Christa had ever felt that way about _any_ guy.

"I couldn't even talk around him." Rory confided.

"I saw you at the dance." Paris told her. "You didn't seem to have any trouble talking. Or gazing annoyingly into each others eyes."

"But that was after weíd been dating a little." Rory pointed out. "After we started going out and spending time together, I donít know, it just kind of got easier. And then by the third date everything was perfect."

"Do you miss him a lot?" Paris asked softly.

Rory paused for a second, then nodded sadly. "Yeah, a lot, a lot."

"Sorry." Paris told her and she sounded genuinely sympathetic.

"Thanks." Rory said with a small smile. "But tonight is not about me. Tonight is about you going out with Tristan in this outfit." She pulled the outfit in question out of the closet and held it up for Paris' inspection. "What do you think?"

"It's ok." Paris said.

Rory gave her a look.

"It's great." She amended.

"Put it on." Rory instructed. "Are you sure?" Paris said hesitantly.

"I'm sure." Rory told her. "Bathroom's down the hall and Iíll get you a lipstick with some actual colour in it."

"Ok." Paris said with a smile and she threw her jacket on the bed, before she left the room. Some cards fell out of it onto the floor.

Rory bent down to pick them up. She read a few of them and then walked over to the closed bathroom door. "Uh, Paris." She hesitantly. "What are these cards that fell out of your pocket."

"Oh, yeah. Those are notes for tonight."

Rory raised an eyebrow. "Notes."

"Yeah." Paris said through the door. "Just some reference points really--you know subjects to bring up in case the conversation lags."

Rory shook her head. Paris really was an original. "Well can I suggest that you leave this one about the Spanish Inquisition out?" She said gently.

"It's not very romantic?" Paris asked wryly.

"Not really." Rory told her.

"Ok, I'm dressed." Paris told her.

"How's it look?" Rory asked.

"Bad." Paris said, through the closed door.

"Well, I donít really trust your opinion on that subject so come out here please." Rory instructed.

"Fine." Paris said with a sigh. "But it looks bad."

She opened the door and came out, dressed in a print blouse of Lorelai's and a black miniskirt. She looked very good. Very un-Parisy.

"You look great!" Rory told her honestly.

"I feel weird." Paris complained, tugging at the skirt.

"Well then weird works for you." Rory commented. "Because you look amazing."

"Really?" Paris asked doubtfully. "You're not just saying that?"

Rory wondered what it was about Paris that she could come off as so confident about some things and be so lacking in self-esteem in other areas. "I swear to God." Rory told her.

"Are you an atheist?" Paris asked her.

Rory blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Because that affects the validity of your swearing to God." Paris informed her.

Rory shook her head. Paris was definitely being Paris. "You look great." She said patiently. "And I wouldn't tell you you did if you didn't."

"Ok, well if you think it looks ok..." Paris said hesitantly. "I believe the word ëamazingí was used." Rory told her with a smile.

"Then I'll wear it." Paris told her. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Rory said with a smile.

"I have to go." Paris said after a minute.

"Lipstick." Rory reminded her, handing her one in the appropriate shade before they headed down the stares.

Paris stood at the door for a long minute. "You're going to hold this evening over my head for the rest of my life arenít you?" She asked.

Rory smiled. "Probably."

"Bye." Paris said, then she left.

Rory watched her going, thinking about what had just happened. She and Paris had just bonded. Scary.

* * *


	30. Part Thirty: Party Time

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Rating in Part One.  
_  
_A.N- I know that the LDB didn't come into until Yale, but I figured Colin and Logan and co. would a) probably mainly know each other before then (as was implied in "Jews and Chinese Food") and b) probably have that same attitude pre-Yale, given Logan's statements in "You've Been Gilmored", so thus the whole "iniation" thing. That's all for now, enjoy!  
_  
Part Thirty: Party Time

"Going out?" Francine asked, meeting up with Christa in the entrance way.

Christa nodded and grabbed her jacket. "I'm going to a party."

"Oh?" Francine inquired. "With some people from school?" 

Christa shook her head. "No, some people I met at that anniversary party last weekend. Logan Huntzberger, he's the one picking me up." She knew her grandmother well enough to know that name dropping worked well with her.

"Mitchum and Shira's boy?" Francine asked with a smile.

"I guess." Christa said with a shrug. Just then there was a knock on the door. "I think that's him." She said and she opened it. Indeed, the handsome blonde boy with standing there.

"Hey, Logan." She greeted. "You know my grandmother?" 

"Mrs. Hayden." Logan said with a charming grin. 

"Oh, please call me Francine." Francine instructed. "So you're taking Christa to a party?"

Logan nodded. "Yeah, I'm not sure what time we'll be back, but I promise I'll try to have her home at a decent hour."

"That's fine." Francine said. "Have fun."

"I will." Christa told her grandmother and then she and Logan escaped out the door. "You do very good 'grandmother'." She complimented, as they headed towards his limo.

Logan shrugged. "I've had some practice."

"I bet." Christa said with a smile as the car started to move.

"So you live with them?" Logan asked.

Christa nodded. "Only temporarily. My dad's in California and... He needed some time to get his act together and my mom's here in Connecticut, so he sent me to stay with your parents."

Logan nodded and didn't ask why she didn't live with her mom. "Your mother's Lorelai Gilmore, right?" He inquired.

"Yes." Christa confirmed. "The one who got pregnant at sixteen and didn't get married." She knew that her and Rory's birth had been quite a scandal at the time and she was sure most people, even ones their age, had heard about it.

"I think your mom was brave." Logan told her. "Not backing down to what was probably considerable pressure."

"That's my mom for you." Christa said with a smile. "Probably the strongest woman I know." 

"You have a sister, right?" Logan asked her. 

"Rory." Christa confirmed. "We're identical twins, but as different as night and day. She's the good twin." 

Logan shot her a grin. "Yeah, but that makes you the more interesting one."

Christa laughed. "Thanks. I think."

Logan grinned at her. "Anytime."

* * *

An hour later Christa was sure that she wanted to infiltrate this particular social circle. The party was a lot of fun. It was, as Colin informed her, a crowd of bored, rich, society brats, the kind that Lorelai wanted her to avoid, but it was definitely fun.

"So, the new recruit." A blonde girl, who Christa thought was named Stephanie, said looking at her critically. "You're definitely cute."

"Thanks." Christa said, though she wasn't sure it was a compliment.

"Are you sure you can cut it, though?" Stephanie asked. "Or are you a good girl at heart?"

"This girl's one of us." Colin said, coming up and wrapping his arm around Christa. "She has that streak."

"Streak?" Christa asked, smiling up at Colin.

"Of greatness." Logan said, joining them. "The kind of mind made for trouble."

"Thank you, that's quite a compliment, I assume." Christa said with a laugh."

"The highest." Logan assured her. 

"What are we talking about?" Robert asked, coming to join them as Stephanie flounced away.

"Christa's induction into our circle." Logan informed him. "Think she passes muster?"

Robert grinned. "She'll do. Though I do think, she should have to past a test."

Christa looked at them. "A test?"

"Of course." Logan told her. "Not tonight, but soon, we must plan this test." 

Christa rolled her eyes. "Ok." She looked at Colin. "Somewhere quieter?" She asked, giving him an alluring smile.

Colin grinned. "Your wish is my command." He wrapped his arm around her waist and lead her away from the party down the hall to what Christa assumed was his bedroom.

"This is good." Christa told him, sitting down on the bed.

"One of the advantages to hosting the party." Colin told her, joining her on the bed. "Though, there is always the danger of a large amount of damage to my parents things."

"Good thing they're not around." Christa said with a giggle.

"That is true." Colin agreed, kissing her neck. "Though, I always think it's good when they're not around."

Christa laughed, though she couldn't imagine feeling that way about her parents. Her grandparents, yes, but not her parents.

"I don't do strings." Colin told her after a moment, his voice flat.

Christa laughed. "Good. Neither do I." 

Colin grinned. "I didn't think so, but I always like to check. Some girls..."

"Take making out with you twice in a row as a sign of commitment?" Christa asked with a smile.

"Something like that." Colin confirmed. 

"Don't worry, I take it as it is." Christa said and then leaned into kiss Colin. He kissed her back deeply and the talking stopped.

* * *

"Ready to go?" Logan asked a few hours later, coming over to where Colin and Christa were cuddling together. They'd emerged from his bedroom and joined the rest of the party, but were still keeping to themselves. He had a pretty brunette attached to him.

Christa sighed regretfully and pulled away from Colin. "Ready." She told him.

"You could stay here." Colin told her, pulling her back to him. 

"It's two o'clock in the morning." She pointed out, taking a fuzzy look at her watch. "Straub and Francine are going to kill me as it is. Any later... Well, it won't be pretty." 

"Do you have to go?" Logan's companion, asked with a pout.

"Sorry." Logan said, detaching himself from her.

She glared at Christa, who ignored her and stood up again, giving Colin a quick kiss before she did. Then she smiled at Logan. "I'm ready."

He nodded and the two of them left the party.

"She seemed disappointed." Christa commented with a smirk as they got into the limo.

Logan shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. He paused, trying to find the words, probably made harder by the amount of liquor in his system. "She's not like you, she won't... She doesn't really matter."

"I do?" Christa said surprised.

"You might." Logan told her. "You've got the kinda personality, you could be a permanent member of our group."

Christa grinned. "That sounds like fun."

"Colin-" Logan began. 

"Doesn't do strings." Christa finished for him. "Neither do I. It's all good."

Logan grinned. "See? You'll fit in just fine. Once you past the test."

Christa giggled. "Should I be scared?"

Logan shook his head. "Nah. You'll pass. I'd count on it."

* * *


	31. Part ThirtyOne: Consequence

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Thirty-One: Consequence

Rory was prepared with doughnuts and coffee again the next day. Everyone took them gratefully.

Her sister was one of the last to arrive, expect for Paris, and took her coffee and gulped it quickly. "Ugh. Early." She muttered. "Bright. My head hurts."

Rory looked at her sister. "Hangover?"

"Yeah." Christa muttered. "Got in at 2:30 last night."

Rory could see Tristan staring at her sister and she wondered how his date with Paris went.

"Hot date?" He asked sarcastically and Rory doubted it could have gone that well, since there was still some definite tension there.

"Hot enough." Christa replied, then winced at the effort.

Tristan just glared at her. Rory wondered what that meant for Paris, probably not good.

Just then Paris entered. Rory walked over to her. "Hey, how'd it go last night?"

"It went." Paris told her.

"It went well?" Rory pressed, thinking of what she had just witnessed.

"Well, he picked me up." Paris told her. "We went to dinner and a movie. I didnít use my note cards once and he kissed me good night."

"Paris, I'm so glad!" Rory squealed.

"It was a great kiss." Paris confided.

"See?" Rory said, genuinely happy for her. "All that nervousness for nothing."

"Yeah." Paris agreed. "God this is so weird. I canít stop smiling."

A smiling Paris was definitely weird, though Rory didn't comment on that thought. "Good, then it's a good me to talk about our over taxed peasants." Rory said with a grin.

"Oh, let them eat cake." Paris said, then honed in on Tristan. She walked over to him. "Hi."

"Hey." Tristan greeted.

"I just wanted to tell you again that I had so much fun last night." Paris told him.

"Yeah, after five messages on my answering machine, I kinda got that impression." Tristan told her.

Rory winced. Five messages? Someone definitely needed to teach Paris some dating skills, or so it seemed...

"Too much, sorry." Paris apologized awkwardly.

"No forget it." Tristan told her. "It was cute."

Paris seemed encouraged by that. " You know, maybe we could do it again sometime." She suggested. "I mean, a different movie, of course, but the same basic plan."

"Absolutely." Tristan told her.

Rory smiled, happy for Paris. She saw that Christa, still obviously suffering from hangover-induced pain, didn't look nearly as happy.

"Great." Paris said eagerly. "Because it was really fun."

"It was fun." Tristan agreed. "We should do it again, I mean, you know, as friends."

Rory saw Paris' face fall and felt bad. But at least, Tristan was letting her down gently, which was more than she honestly would have expected.

"Oh, yeah as friends." Paris murmured, obviously disappointed.

"You noticed it too, right?" Tristan asked, obviously trying to help her save face. "That weíre sort of more friends material than dating material?"

"Yes, I did notice." Paris said, latching onto the save that he offered. "I have excellent deductive skills."

"But hey, I'm glad we did it." He told her.

"Oh, sure." Paris muttered.

"When Rory first suggested us going out I thought the idea was crazy but she made some good points." Tristan continued.

Rory groaned, he wasn't bringing her into this, but apparently he was. Everyone was watching Paris and Tristan with fascination and Rory felt horrible for Paris, though she had a feeling that sympathy wouldn't be welcome.

"We do have some history." Tristan continued. "I thought, well, you never know, right?"

"Yes, you never know." Paris agreed. "Ok, so we're done here, right?"

"Uh, sure." Tristan agreed.

"Great. Excuse me." Paris said and then she walked over to Rory and glared at her.

"Paris, I'm sorry." Rory told her. "I just thought..."

"Thought what?" Paris demanded. "That I was pathetic, so you'd throw your sister's cast-offs in my direction?"

"Ok, it wasn't like-" Rory began, but Paris didn't give her a chance to finish.

"I'm not your charity case!" She yelled, glaring at her.

"It wasn't like that." Rory told her. "I thought you guys would make a good couple that's all!"

"Well, you were wrong!" Paris yelled at her, then she glared at the room in general. "What are you all staring at? We have work to do!"

With that she slammed her way across the room and Rory winced. Oh, this was so not going to be fun.

* * *

After the study-session from Hell, with Paris being even more dicator-like than normal, Christa pulled Tristan aside. "What the Hell were you thinking?" She demanded of him. 

"Huh?" He asked blinking.

"Telling Paris that it was Rory's idea for you to ask her out?" Christa clarified. "Couldn't you have kept your mouth shut?"

"I didn't know it was a secret." Tristan said with a shrug.

"You're such a jerk." Christa told him.

He shot her a look. "You're one to talk." Christa gave him a look. "Ok, I'm not perfect. Yes, I kissed Colin and you know what, I didn't do anything wrong. We weren't dating. Nothing was said."

"What if it had been?" Tristan demanded.

"Then the Colin thing never would have happened." Christa told him. "Whatever you think of me, if I'm in a relationship, I don't cheat."

Of course, she never did relationships so it was a moot point, but...

"You still could have let Paris down easier." Christa told him in disgust.

"What you want me to date Paris too?" Tristan asked, staring at her.

Christa gave him a look. "I don't care _who_ you date." She told him, though it wasn't technically the truth. She did like Tristan, but she didn't like him enough to date him, so... "Sometimes you really are a jerk, though."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Tristan staring after her.

* * *

"So you cost Rory $250,000?" Christa said with a laugh later that evening. Lorelai had met them at the house when Christa dropped Rory off and she recounted the story of Gran's offer and the disastrous tea that had followed. 

"Well, she'll still get it." Lorelai said. "She just has to wait until she turns 25, just like you. I didn't cost you any money, by the way." She told Christa. "Since your trust fund was never an option because the Haydens take care of all that."

Rory frowned. "I'm not sure how I feel about this."

"It just means you have to go to Friday Night dinners still." Christa told her with a shrug. "Which shouldn't bother you because _you_ like Friday Night dinners."

"I still would have liked $250,000." Rory pouted.

"Cheer up, it'll be there waiting for when you turn 25." Lorelai pointed out with a smile, glad that Rory wasn't really all that upset.

Christa shook her head. "What I can't believe is that you let Emily get to you?"

Lorelai sighed. "I know, but my mother..."

Christa smiled. "I know."

Rory made a face. "I could have bought a lot of books..."

Lorelai grinned because that statement was so typically Rory. "What would _you have_ done?" She asked Christa.

"Party." Her wild child answered flatly.

"And it's a wonder the idea of giving you the money never came up." Lorelai quipped.

Christa shrugged. "It's a pity, isn't it?"

Lorelai just laughed and put an arm around both her daughters. "Well, I think you guys can both live until you turn 25, right?"

Rory gave a long suffering sigh. "I guess... If I _have _to."

* * *


	32. Part ThirtyTwo: Playing the Parent Card

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Rating in Part One.  
_  
_A.N- I know it might seem a little odd that Christa would tell her **father** about breaking the law and doing something completely stupid, but keep in mind she and Chris have a very open relationship and he doesn't discipline her very often, so... Also, I was going with my own relationship with my father where he made it clear that no matter what it was, or how stupid it was, he wanted to be my first call, just so he could bail me out if needed and I always obeyed, even when I knew he'd be pissed and since Christopher reminds me of my father, I gave him and Christa that same kind of relationship. This chapter is mainly to show that bad-girl, couldn't care less side of Christa, since that'll play a major role later. That's all for now, enjoy!  
_  
Part Thirty-Two: Playing the Parent Card

"How's my favourite girl?" Christopher asked warmly. He was calling to check in with Christa.

"Hi, Daddy." Christa said, happy to hear her father's voice on the other end of the phone. She talked to Christopher three or four times a week, but it wasn't the same as actually _seeing_ him.

"I'm thinking of moving back East." He told her. "You seem happier being close to your mother and sister."

"So you'd come to Connecticut?" Christa asked, trying to process the idea. 

"Maybe, maybe not." Christopher told her. "I'm not sure I could handle being that close to my parents, but somewhere nearby. How would you feel about that?"

"Sounds great." Christa told him. "I really like being back here, being close to Mom and Rory. I've made friends."

It had been two weeks since the Paris/Tristan date debacle and the party at Colin's house.

"That's my girl." Christopher said proudly.

Christa laughed. "Is this when I tell you I stole a car?"

There was a silence on the other end. "Excuse me?" Christopher said finally.

"It was a dare." Christa told him. "I had to take a car from a party, drive it around and then bring it back."

That had been her 'iniation' task. She hadn't shared the news with Rory or Lorelai, since she knew neither of them would approve, to say the least, but Christopher...

"You stole a car." He said quietly.

"Well, sort of." Christa told him. "I gave it back and the owners never even knew it was gone."

"How did you..." Christopher asked, then froze. "Do I even want to know?"

"It was a charity thing. There were valets. I got... cozy with one of them, got the keys away from him." Christa told her. "I took the car and then I returned it ten minutes later and smuggled the keys back, no one even knew they were gone."

Christopher exhaled loudly. "What were you thinking?" He asked after a moment.

"Dad..." 

"Don't 'dad' me, Christine Marie." Christopher told her from the other end. "That was in no way cool, it was irresponsible and... God, I can't believe you were that stupid." 

"Nobody got hurt." Christa defended, a little surprised by his anger. Christopher never played the parent card with her and he **never** used her full name.

"It was still stupid." Christopher said. "What were you thinking? Wait, of course you weren't."

Christa was a little surprised that Christopher was coming across so heavy, he never did. Usually she did something, like getting kicked out of school and he just smiled, but apparently there was limit. Interesting.

"You're grounded." Christopher announced.

"What!" Christa shrieked. She'd never been grounded before. Okay, this was **not** cool. It was like her father was suddenly changing the rules on her and it sucked.

* * *

"Our daughter's in big trouble." Christopher announced.

"Hi to you too." Lorelai said, answering the phone.

"Sorry." Christopher said with a sigh. "I'm just... I'm calling to let you know that Christa's under restriction and I'm calling you to monitor it. My parents already know that she doesn't have her car for two weeks, except to drive to school and back and to Stars Hollow and that in fact, other than those two things, she's grounded." 

Lorelai was surprised. She'd never heard Christopher go parental. "What did she do?" She asked, a feeling of dread building up. She wasn't sure she _wanted _to know, after all if Chris was playing the heavy it had to be pretty bad...

Christopher sighed. "She stole a car."

"What!" Lorelai yelled, unable to believe what she was hearing.

Christopher filled her in on the whole story.

"And she actually _told_ you this?" Lorelai asked in disbelief. Was their kid stupid or something?

"Well, I don't think she thought I'd react so badly." Christopher admitted.

"Why would she think that?" Lorelai demanded apprehensively. She knew Christopher was a lenient parent, but surely he hadn't been letting Christa get out of control...

"Because I've always laughed it off before." Christopher admitted sheepishly.

"_Before_?" Lorelai demanded, her voice dangerously calm.

Christopher explained about Hillsbrook, a story Lorelai had never heard before. Christopher had just told her that Christa hated the school, so he chose to put her somewhere else for her sophomore year.

"There were also a few parties, some drinking, typical teenager stuff." Christopher admitted.

"I knew about the drinking and the partying." Lorelai told him. "But the getting kicked out of school and now stealing a car... Christopher!"

"I know." He told her, but he sighed. "She's not so different than a lot of kids we knew. Hell, we weren't so much better. We just never admitted it to our parents."

"That doesn't exactly make me feel better." Lorelai told him bitingly. "In case you forget, you got me pregnant at sixteen. Not exactly what I want for our daughter."

"Me neither." Christopher told her. "That's why I stepped in." He sighed. "Maybe I was too lenient."

"Apparently." Lorelai said, then she took a deep breath. "Christa... She's our problem child, isn't she? The one that just attracts trouble like a magnet."

"Oh, yeah." Christopher agreed. "She was pretty pissed at me for getting her in trouble." Lorelai laughed. "Of course she was, she's not used to it." 

Christopher sighed again. "Have I completely screwed up raising our kid?"

"No." Lorelai assured him. "Most of the time, she's a pretty good kid, Chris, it's just sometimes..."

She loved her daughter, but Christa just didn't seem to care about rules. Also, she was becoming what Lorelai had fought so hard to prevent Rory from being, the society brat that didn't care about the rules--since according to Chris, the stunt had been a dare. God, Lorelai felt she could cheerfully strangle her daughter. What in the world had that girl been thinking?

* * *


	33. Part ThirtyThree: Sucking Up

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Thirty-Three: Sucking Up

Her two weeks of grounding were probably the most miserable of Christa's life. Because apparently, social gatherings weren't counted in her restriction, _as long_ as she stuck with Straub and Francine the entire time. Yuck. They weren't aware of the reason for her restriction and they'd tried to go to bat for her, calling her spirited, but Christopher had remained remarkably strong and Lorelai had gotten involved, which hadn't been pretty, though effective.

The result was that they upheld the punishment. No phone, no boys, no fun. That wasn't even the worst part. No, the worst part had been how disappointed her parents had been.

Christopher **never** played the parent card and Lorelai rarely, so to see them be so heavy and unmovable was a shock. Christa wasn't sure she really felt bad about what she had done, it was just a stupid prank, but she felt bad for letting down her parents.

"How does it feel to be a free woman again?" Rory asked after school on the day the punishment ended.

It was a Friday and Christa was going to be able to go out and have a life that weekend. Well, with one exception...

"I'm not entirely free yet." Christa pointed out with a groan. "Remember?"

As an added punishment, now that restriction was over she had to attend Friday Night dinners for a month, starting that night. That had been Lorelai's idea. Christa wasn't sure if it was because her mother knew what a great punishment it would be or to limit her party time or both, but she knew she didn't like it. However, given that neither of her parents were pleased with her, she hadn't protested.

"It won't be that bad." Rory told her. "Friday Night dinners can be fun."

Christa gave her twin a look. "Fun. Yeah, right. About as fun as my funeral is going to be."

"Well, you're the one that decided to steal a car." Rory pointed out. She'd been absolutely horrified to hear about it.

Christa sighed, knowing she had no allies. Oh, well, at least her restriction was over and she could go out again. The car stunt **had** earned her a spot in Logan and company's circle, which had been the point. She was going somewhere with them the next day. She wasn't quite sure where. Just that it involved fake IDs.

Not that Christa planned on sharing that information with anyone. No, she'd learnt that lesson and had decided to keep her mouth shut from now on, because no matter how cool her parents, they were still parents.

* * *

"Grandma, can I have some baby pictures of you and Grandpa?" Rory asked.

"I need some too." Christa chimed in.

It was just the women for dinner, as Richard was away on business. Rory could sense that Christa was still resentful about having to be there, but it was her own stupid fault.

"Any particular reason?" Emily asked.

"Yeah." Rory told her. "We're doing this visual family history project for school."

"Oh. Well, if it's for school I suppose I could dig something up." Emily told them.

"We need some of Mom too." Christa piped up.

"I thought we already had this conversation." Lorelai said, looking at her daughters.

"Yeah, but we don't believe you." Rory informed her.

"Mother, tell her." Lorelai instructed, looking at her mother.

"I don't have any baby pictures of your mother." Emily informed them, confirming what Lorelai had told them.

"Thank you." Lorelai said, shooting a triumphant look at her daughter's.

Rory was glad that some of the tension seemed to have disappeared between her mother and Christa, though not all. 

"How could you not have any baby pictures of Mom?" Rory questioned.

"Because when your mother was seven, I came downstairs and found her burning all of her baby pictures." Emily answered, giving Lorelai a baleful look.

"Why would you do that?" Rory questioned, looking at her mother. "I'm sure you were a cute baby."

"She was." Emily assured her. "She was very cute."

"Four, three, two, one." Lorelai counted softly.

"In most respects." Emily added.

"Then we have lift off." Lorelai murmured.

"What does that mean?" Rory asked, focusing on her grandmother.

"Nothing." Lorelai said quickly.

"I don't see what the problem is." Emily said critically. "You certainly grew into it." 

"Grew into what?" Christa asked, staring at her mother.

"As a child, your mother had an unusually large head." Emily told them.

"The best thing about it was that she would tell me constantly." Lorelai added, shooting a look at her mother. "My first complete sentence was, 'Big head want dolly.'"

Christa giggled. Rory shot her sister a look and then focused on her mother. "I can't imagine it being that bad." She placated, looking at her grandmother.

"It wasn't." Emily agreed. "It just affected her balance a little so..."

"Okay, can we please talk about something besides my formerly huge head?" Lorelai said quickly. 

"Are these new chairs, Grandma?" Christa asked, obviously deciding it was smart to rescue Lorelai.

"Why, yes, Christa, they are." Emily said, giving her a rare smile. 

"They are?" Lorelai asked in disbelief.

"I got them from a dealer up in Maine last summer." Emily explained, ignoring Lorelai and focusing on the twins. "He just finished restoring them."

"They look exactly like the old ones." Lorelai protested.

"They're nice." Rory said, shooting her mother a look.

"Are you sure they're new?" Lorelai questioned.

"Of course I'm sure." Emily told her irritably. "I bought them."

"I don't see any difference at all." She protested.

Rory rolled her eyes and exchanged a glance with Christa, their mom loved to rile their grandmother.

"Well, the arch in the back is higher and they have a completely different leg." Emily explained impatiently.

"Hmm, no difference." Lorelai muttered.

Emily shot her a look and then focused on the twins again. "Of course, I could only get ten of these." She complained. "So I'm two chairs short of a set." 

"You're telling me." Lorelai joked.

Emily shot her a look. "Lorelai, do you realize how rare these chairs are?"

"No." Lorelai answered. "How rare are they?"

"I've searched for three years for them." Emily told her. "I've combed every fine antique store on the East coast and this is all I could find. I blame Peg Mosley."

"What did Peg Mosley do?" Christa asked, before Lorelai had a chance to speak.

"I made the mistake of telling Peg all my favourite special spots and that woman moved in and completely wiped them out." Emily explained. "You can't find a decent Biedermayer hutch in all of Connecticut. I'm desperate for new sources."

"What about Kim's Antiques?" Rory volunteered.

"What's Kim's Antiques?" Emily asked, sounding intrigued.

"Didn't that burn down?" Lorelai asked desperately.

Rory saw Christa smother a giggle and ignored both her mother and sister as she focused on her grandmother. "My best friend Lane, her parents have this great antiques store in Stars Hollow." She explained.

"Is that so?" Emily asked, sounding interest. She turned to Lorelai. "Why haven't you ever told me about it?"

Christa and Rory exchanged a look. Rory had to give her twin credit, she could see Christa biting back a comment. It was obvious she was trying to be on her best behaviour--very unusual for Christa.

"Oh, I down know, Mom." Lorelai told her. "I guess it just got lost in my big head." 

"Maybe you should come to Stars Hollow and I'll take you there." Rory suggested. "Like tomorrow. You can come and see the town."

Lorelai sent her a horrified look, but Rory sent her a look.

"Well, won't you have to study?" Emily asked her.

"I can put off studying for one day." ROry told her.

"I'll tag along." Christa volunteered. "I don't have any plans until the evening." 

Rory sent her twin a look. Her sister was volunteering to spend time with their grandmother, what was she up to.

"I'm working." Lorelai said quickly.

"No one is asking you to do anything, Lorelai." Emily said and then she focused on the twins. "This is between my granddaughters and me. I accept your offer, Rory, Christa. I would love to spent Saturday with the two of you."

"Great." Rory told her.

"Sound like fun." Christa echoed.

Rory shot her sister another look, what was Christa up to? It had to be something...

* * *


	34. Part ThirtyFour: A Day With Emily

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Thirty-Four: A Day With Emily

"Emily here yet?" Christa asked, when she arrived in Stars Hollow the next day.

"No." Rory told her. "She should be here soon."

Christa nodded. There had been something tempting about the idea of Emily in Stars Hollow, so she'd decided to tag along. Just then, Emily's car pulled up in the driveway.

"Grandma." Rory greeted. 

Christa just smiled.

"Rory, Christa, hello. What a lovely day to..." Emily began, then her heel got caught in the grass. "Ugh. I guess putting in a walkway never occurred to your mother."

"Oh, actually it occurs to her every day on the way to work." Rory said with a grin.

"Here." Christa said, helping to pull Emily's heel out of the grass.

"Thank you." Emily told her.

Christa thought this might be the nicest exchange she and Emily had ever had. The three of them started walked towards the house.

"Are your shoes okay?" Rory asked as they got inside.

"They're fine." Emily told her. "Just a little muddy, that's all." 

Christa waited for another comment about Lorelai's negligence, but before that could happen, Rory reached out for the shoes. "Here, give 'em. I'll clean them for you." She volunteered, holding out her hand for the shoes.

"Oh, you don't have to do that." Emily protested, even as she handed the shoes over.

Rory took the shoes into the kitchen, leaving Christa and Emily to trail her. "Mom found this great shoe clearer." Rory explained. "It gets out pretty much anything."

"It's true." Christa volunteered. "It got all the icky-stuff off my pretty white boots." 

Emily gave her a look. "Because I'm sure it would have been a crime if those had been ruined."

Christa just smiled.

"Do you want something to drink?" Rory asked. "There should be some iced tea in the fridge." 

"Iced tea would be nice." Emily said with a smile. She went to the fridge and opened it. "Oh my God! There's nothing in here."

"I know, it's a little sparse." Rory said, as she cleaned Emily's shoes.

"It's the Grapes of Wrath!" Emily exclaimed.

"Don't worry." Rory assured her. "We eat fine."

Christa chuckled. Somehow, she didn't think Emily would feel better if she knew how Rory and Lorelai usually ate--by living off take-out for days.

"No food, no drink." Emily muttered shaking her head. "Do you at least have plates?"

"Yes, we have plates." Rory said patiently.

Emily went to the cupboard and pulled out a plate, then she frowned. "There are women in bikinis on them."

"The original Charlie's Angels." Rory said enthusiastically. "It took us years to get a complete set. You can find the Kate Jackson's and the Shelly Hack's pretty easily. Even the Cheryl Ladd's. But the Farrah Fawcett's and the Jacklyn Smith's are a little harder to come by, but still accessible. The real trick however is to find the Tanya Roberts. We have three." 

Christa smiled to herself, this was exactly why she had volunteered to come along, this was too entertaining to be missed. 

"You have three Tanya Roberts?" EMily repeated. 

"Yup." Rory confirmed.

"And I was worried, silly me." Emily said, putting the plate away. "How are you doing with those shoes?"

"All done." Rory said, handing the shoes back.

"That's amazing." Emily said, inspecting them. "What is it that you used?" 

"I don't know." Rory told her. "We got it off one of those late night TV ads. Apparently it also gets rust off nails and hinges, waxes your car perfectly, and weatherproofs windows and doors."

"Well, isn't that nice." Emily said in a polite tone.

"Okay, about today." Rory said after a minute. "I think I should just give you the grand tour of the town. So we can start by walking to Kim's Antiques, which takes us by all the good sites."

Christa saw that their grandmother didn't exactly look enthusiastic about that idea. 

"Well, uh, Rory, I don't think I wore the right shoes for the grand tour." Emily protested, which Christa thought might be the closest she'd ever come to refusing Rory anything. "Why don't we just drive?"

"Come on Grandma, it'll be fun!" Christa said, jumping in to help her sister out.

"Yeah, you can borrow a pair of Mom's shoes." Rory volunteered eagerly. 

Christa had to surpass a giggle at the idea of Emily wearing anything in Lorelai's shoe collection.

"Uh, no, I don't think so." Emily told her, but it was too late Rory was already walking up the stairs. "Rory, hold on a minute!" 

"Grandma, you will be missing the true Stars Hollow experience if you don't walk." Rory told her. "Trust me." 

Christa followed her sister up the stairs, wanting to help pick the shoes that Emily would have to wear.

She heard her grandmother sigh warily. "All right, but I won't wear anything with rhinestones or zebra stripes or anything that has batteries or that sings or make animal noises or moves on its own." She called up the stairs.

"I've got it." Rory assured her as she continued heading up the stairs, Christa on her heels. 

"Can I pick?" Christa begged.

Rory sent her a look. "No."

Christa pouted. "You're no fun." 

"And you're mean." Rory replied.

Christa just shrugged and trailed her twin into their mother's room. Oh, well, even if she couldn't pick, it would still be amusing...

* * *

Rory let Emily and Christa into the Independance Inn. The morning had been successful. Emily had bought a few items and she and Mrs. Kim had hit it off, watching them had been better than TV in Rory's opinion.

After that, they'd continued to walk around Stars Hollow. Rory had even gotten her grandmother into a pair of sneakers. Also, Christa was being good, for her at least, not doing anything to deliberately provoke their grandmother.

"So what do you think?" Rory asked, referring to the Inn.

"Well, I think it's very nice." Emily told he, looking around.

"Mom's office is right back there." Rory told her, motioning. "Oh, and you have to see the dining room. They got the chandeliers from one of Martha Washington's houses."

"Do you a spend a lot of time here?" Emily inquired.

"Yeah." Rory todl her. "I work here a couple afternoons a week, and I help out with special occasions. They have a lot of weddings here." 

"I help out sometimes, when I'm around." Christa spoke up. "Mostly with weddings and stuff."

Emily nodded.

"I wonder where Mom is?" Rory wodnered outloud, looking around.

"Oh, don't bother your mother." Emily told her. "I'm sure she's busy."

"Oh, no she'd wnat to say hi." Rory assured her, thoguh she wasn't actually sure that ture. Well, it was too bad, Emily was in Stars Hollow and Lorelai had to at least say hi.

Rory lead Emily and Christa to the front desk, where Michel was. "Michel, where's Mom?" She asked.

"Off with her boyfriend." He told her grumpily.

"Boyfriend?" Christa asked. "What boyfriend?"

"Small, dark, wanted in four states." Michel told them.

Christa and Rory exchanged looks, what in the world was he tlaking about?

"Okay, well do you when she's coming back?" Rory asked. "Because our grandmother's here and we wanted to say hi."

"Your grandmother?" Michel said with interest, looking over at Emily. 

"Emily Gilmore." Emily introduced.

"Michel Gerard." The two of them shook hands and then began to speak in French.

"Okay, well, we better go find Mom." Rory said after a moment, putting her hand on Emily's arm.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you." Emily told Michel with a smile. 

"The pleasure is all mine." Michel told her, returning her smile.

Christa and Rory exchagned looks.

"Was that Michel?" Christa whispered to Rory. "Or did he get taken over by aliens?"

Rory repressed a laugh, she'd been wodnering the same thing.

"What a charming man." Emily exclaimed.

"Um, okay." Rory muttered, then smiled when she caught sight of Lorelai. "Mom!"

Lorelai turned in their direction. "Hey." Lorelai greeted, then turned to Emily. "Mom, hi."

"Lorelai, it's quite a nice place you've got here." Emily complimented.

"Oh, well it's not really my place." Lorelai told her. "I just work here, so... I thought you were gonna go antiquing?" 

"Yeah, we did." Rory told her. "And then we had lunch."

"Oh, really? Where?" Lorelai asked.

"Teriyaki Joe's." Emily said cheerfully. 

"You're kidding." Lorelai said in obvious disbelief.

"She picked." Christa said with a grin. 

"It looked festive." Emily told her.

"I can't picture you at Teriyaki Joe's..." Lorelai said, shaking her head. She looked down at Emily's feet. "Or in jogging shoes, for that matter. What's up working girl?"

"Well, Rory decided that we should take the grand tour of town, that meant walking." Emily explained. "I hope you don't mind, I borrowed your socks also."

"I don't mind." Lorelai assured her. "I wish I had a camera, but I don't mind." 

"I'm gonna go show her the grounds." Rory told her mother.

"Ok." Lorelai said.

"Bye." Rory said, before leading her grandmother and Christa away.

For the next few minutes, she showed Emily all over the grounds, and then lead her towards her favourite place, the potting shed. She'd really enjoyed the day, showing her grandmother all around her home, and she wanted to show Emily the first home she'd ever had.

"And this is my favourite place." She annouced.

"The tool shed?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No." Rory told her with a smile. "This is where we used to live." 

"What?" Emily asked in disbelief.

"When Mom and I moved here, this was our apartment." Rory explained with a smile.

"But..." Emily began, looking startled.

Rory opened the door and walked in, lost in the memories. Emily stayed by the door, Christa at her side.

"I know it looks small, but it's really pretty." Rory told her. "Come on. See we had our bed right over there, and mom put up this really pretty curtain around the tub so that it looked like a real bathroom. And we would just sit outside at night when the Inn would have parties and we'd just listen to music and feed the ducks and..."

She trailed off as Emily walked away. "Grandma? Grandma, wait, what's the matter?"

"Nothing." Emily told her and then turned to Christa. "What about you? Did you ever live in a potting shed?"

Christa looked taken aback. "Um... No." She said. "I did live in a few basemetns and above a garage once, but no potting sheds." 

Emily didn't look pleased, in fact, if possible, she looked more upset. "I need to go." Emily told them and then walked away, leaving the twins staring after her.

"What was that?" Christa murmered to Rory.

Rory shrugged. "I have no idea." She'd thought the day had been going well...

* * *


	35. Part ThirtyFive: Night Out

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Thirty-Five: Night Out

"So, you've been sprung loose, huh?" Colin asked that night as he picked Christa up.

She chuckled. "Thankfully." She climbed into his car. "So where are we going?"

"First, we're going to Logan's." Colin told her. "From there, it's onto this great club in New York."

"New York City?" Christa asked, now knowing why Colin had told her to give an excuse to her grandmother.

He gave her a look. "Did you follow instructions?"

Christa nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I did. I told Francine I was staying at Stephanie's. Though, I assume I'm not."

"No." Colin said with a grin. "You're not."

Christa grinned. "Cool." She gave Colin a look. "Am I dressed properly?"

Her boxes from California had **finally** arrived, so for once her choice wasn't limited. Not knowing exactly what was going on, she'd put on a short black skirt, a purple tank top, and a black lacy over-shirt. Pretty classic choices.

"You look great." Colin said, giving her an appreciative grin as he pulled the car into a driveway.

Christa blinked in appreciation. "Wow." She'd seen a lot of big houses, but this was something else.

"Yeah, the Huntzbergers like ostentatious." Colin said, getting out of the car. Christa climbed out as well and he took her hand and lead her to the door.

"Christa, I see the sentence is over." Logan greeted when he opened the door.

Christa laughed. "It is. Thank God."

Logan lead them into the house. Christa saw that it was mainly the same crowd as always, which was cool. 

"Christa, free at last I see?" Robert greeted her with a grin.

"I am." Christa said, grabbing the drink he handed her. "Just in time it appears?"

"Oh, yes." Logan told her with a grin. "Definitely, just in time." He looked at his watch. "Speaking of, we better get going or the jet'll leave without us."

"The jet?" Christa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I figured it was easier than driving." Logan said with a grin. "It's not like anyone else is using it tonight."

Christa grinned. "Awesome."

"Christa, finally off restriction, I see." Stephanie drawled at the sight of her.

Christa just smiled. The other girl was **not** her favourite person and the feeling seemed to be definitely mutual. She turned to Colin. "Did I tell you that I spent the whole day with Emily?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Is everyone alive?"

Christa grinned. "Yes, but I don't think she was too thrilled to realize that her grandchildren were being raised in potting sheds and basements."

"What?" Logan asked, giving her a weird look.

"My mom worked as a maid after we were born and she and Rory lived in the Potting Shed of the Inn she worked at." Christa said matter-of-factly. She felt no shame about the fact that her mother had made an honest living for herself and Rory. "At the same time, my dad and I lived in basement apartments and stuff like that. We moved around a lot."

Logan whistled. "Not exactly up to Emily Gilmore standards."

"Nope." Christa agreed.

"Didn't she know?" Colin asked. 

Christa shook her head. "My mom didn't really talk to her parents back then."

"I think your mother sounds fascinating." Rosemary, one of the other girls who went to these parties, piped up. "I can't imagine just walking away from it all and not taking any help."

"She's one of a kind." Christa said proudly, then laughed. "I don't think I could do it either." She admitted ruefully.

The truth was, she and Lorelai might be a lot alike, but Christa was a lot less independent and she liked her life. Yeah, the functions were boring, but the lifestyle definitely had it's rewards.

* * *

"You're not the only one Colin's seeing."

Christa saw Stephanie's reflection in the mirror and turned around to look at the blonde girl. She had gone to the washroom of the club to go fix her hair and make-up and apparently Stephanie had decided to follow her in.

"I'm aware of that." Christa said coolly. "Colin's not the only one I'm seeing."

Well, actually, he was, but only because she'd been on restriction and she'd already accepted a date with a Senior at Chilton for later in the week.

Stephanie looked surprised, but she persisted. "Right now, when you're around, he focuses on you, but that's going to change." She informed her. "He might still dally with you, but he'll bring other girls to these things, until you fade out entirely." 

Christa suddenly realized that Collin and Stephanie had a history and that was the reason behind Stephanie's dislike of her. "I'm okay with that." She told Stephanie. "It's all temporary, right? That's how it stays fun."

Stephanie looked at her and shook her head. "You're just like them." 

"Who?" Christa asked, turning away from Stephanie to go back to reapplying her mascara.

"Colin and Logan." Stephanie told her. "I didn't think it was possible, but you're like the female version."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Christa asked, moving on to her lipstick. Purple of course.

"I honestly don't know." Stephanie said, shaking her head. "I wanted to hate you, yet pity you at the same time and now... You certainly don't need pity."

"Not particularly." Christa said calmly, finishing up with her make-up. She gave Stephanie a look. "Keep it simple, keep it fun, it's a good attitude to have."

Stephanie just shook her head again. "No wonder they accepted you so fast." She murmured. "You really are one of them, more than I'll ever be."

* * *

"Have fun tonight?" Colin asked as the night was over and the group headed to the hotel where they'd be staying. It was two a.m and everything as warm and fuzzy, which Christa thought might be from the tequila shots she and Logan had done together.

"I did." Christa said with a smile, then she frowned as she realized she hadn't been given a room key. Not that she minded sharing, but suddenly she realized that everyone else seemed to have gone their own way and Colin was leading her to a room.

"Colin, I'm not having sex with you." Christa declared, stopping in the middle of the hallway. She hadn't had that much tequila.

Colin stopped and raised his eyebrows. "Blunt aren't we?" He asked with a small smile. "Don't worry, Chris, I wasn't expecting you too."

"Ok." Christa said, feeling a little stupid.

Colin put his arm around her waist and they continued to walk. "We are sharing a room, yes." Colin told her. "I just thought you'd be more comfortable sharing with me than Stephanie."

Christa had to admit that he was right.

"Nothing will happen that you aren't comfortable with." Colin assured her, stopping in front of a door and opening it. He lead Christa inside the room and she saw that there were two beds.

She blushed. "I'm sorry." 

"It's okay." Colin said with a shrug. "I can see why you reached that conclusion, but as I said, it's all up to you. If you want your own bed, you've got it, if you don't... That's fine too."

Colin lead Christa to one of the bed and they both sat down. He cupped her face in his hands. "I'm not going to lie and tell you I'm a virgin." He told her. "I'm not. Nor am I going to pretend that there are women I am sleeping with, because there are."

Christa nodded, she'd expected that. It twinged a little, but it didn't bother her. She wasn't ready to have sex, but Colin was free to if he wanted.

"But I don't expect _you_ to sleep with me until you're ready." Colin told her. "I like our relationship as it is. We have fun when we're together, right?"

"Yeah." Christa said with a smile. She sighed. "It's not that I'm _opposed _to sex." She told him. "It's just..."

"Your mother got pregnant at sixteen." Colin commented dryly. 

Christa shot him a look then sighed. "Yeah. Pretty much."

"It makes sense." Colin told her. "You've had a good exposure to the consequences."

"I **am** the consequence." Christa reminded him, then sighed. "Not that my parents think of me that way, I know, it's just..." 

"I get it." Colin assured her. "So no sex. Not unless it's what you want." He gave her a sexy grin. "There are other things..."

"That is true." She said, linking her arms around her neck and kissing him deeply.

Christa was happy with the understanding she and Collin had come to. She liked him and she liked what they had, even though she wasn't ready to take that final step.

Though, she thought as Colin pushed her back onto the bed, there were lots of other steps that she **was** willing to take...

* * *


	36. Part ThirtySix: Weirdness

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Thirty-Six: Weirdness

Christa woke up the next morning and leaned over to see that Colin was still fast asleep next to her. Not surprising, considering how late it had been when they'd gotten in and how much he'd had to drink.

She'd chosen to share the bed with him, instead of sleeping in the other bed. It was just nicer cuddling up to someone.

Christa looked over at Colin and felt a pang of regret that when she was ready to lose her virginity, it wouldn't be to Colin, since she genuinely liked him as a person as well as everything else. However, she thought it would be some time before she felt ready and she knew Colin would have passed out of her life, at least in the romantic sense, by then. After all, guys never lasted more than a few months, and she seriously doubted Colin would be any different.

Though, she did think they'd be friends long after their thing ended. They just clicked on a level that had nothing to do with lust or physical attraction. It was the same with Logan. Even Seth and Robert and the other members of the gang to a lesser extent, but mainly Logan and Collin.

Just then there was a knock on her door. Christa yawned and crawled out of bed and towards the door. She realized suddenly that she probably gave a slightly inaccurate picture of the events of the night before, given that she had gone to sleep in Collin's shirt. She had forgot to grab overnight clothes and his shirt was more comfortable than the outfit she had worn. Collin had slept in his boxers.

Christa shrugged, deciding it really didn't matter. She opened the door to see Logan standing there.

He grinned at her attire. "Good night?" He asked, staring at her bare legs.

Christa knew he liked what he saw. "Not as good as you're thinking." She said dryly.

Logan grinned. "Well, I can change that if you'd like." He offered, taking another good look at her.

"Go get your own girl." Colin declared, sitting up in the bed.

"I didn't know you were up." Christa commented, turning to look at Collin.

"It takes me a minute to get conscious." Collin informed her, then looked at Logan. "So why are you bothering me at this inhuman hour of the morning?" 

"Check-out's soon." Logan informed him. "I got given the task of waking everyone up."

"Did you hit on everyone else's date too?" Collin asked, as he climbed out of the bed.

Logan grinned. "No, yours was the best looking."

"Thanks." Christa said dryly, suddenly very aware of the fact that she was clothed only in Colin's dress shirt. Which was weird, since she wasn't usually a self-conscious person. Of course, she'd never been half-naked in a hotel room with two guys giving her appreciative looks before, either.

"I'm going to go get dressed." She said after a minute and grabbed the change of clothes she **had** remembered to bring and went into the bathroom to change.

It wasn't often that she felt forced to retreat, but this was one of those times. A tiny part of her wondered what she had gotten herself into...

* * *

Rory was lying on her bed with Lane. They were having a best friends moment, just listening to music and hanging out.

"I like this song." Rory declared. "It makes me gloomy."

"Gloom is good." Lane agreed.

"Really gloomy." Rory added. Lane was right, sometimes gloom was good.

"Like Joy Division Gloomy?" Lane inquired. "Nick Cave gloomy? Robert Smith gloomy?"

Rory thought about it. "Johnny Cash gloomy." She decided after a minute.

"So kind of like a San Quentin-y, it's a long road home and my horse just got shot but I've still got my girl by my side gloomy?" Lane asked. 

"That's it." Rory told her, sighing contentedly. 

Lane nodded and then paused. "How's Christa? She's off restriction now, right?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know what's up with her. She had some sort of plans last night, but I don't know what."

The truth was, Rory wasn't sure she _wanted _to know. If Christa's latest escapade had taught her anything, it was that she really didn't understand her twin. Rory just couldn't imagine ever being in a state of mind where stealing a car sounded like a good idea.

"I'm sure whatever it was, it was certainly interesting." Lane commented.

Rory chucked. "I'm sure it was."

Just then the phone rang. Rory reached over to answer it. "Hello?"

"Rory, hello." Her grandmother said from the other end. "Do you have a minute?"

"Uh, sure." Rory said, not sure what else to say. She found it a little odd that her grandmother was calling her, they never talked on the phone.

"Now I know this will probably seem silly, but I was wondering what your favourite colour is." Emily told her. "Oh, and Christa's." 

Rory was even more surprised. "Well, I don't really have a favourite colour, but I guess I'd say blue and Christa likes purple."

"Wonderful." Emily said. "What about flowers? Do you like flowers? Does Christa?"

"Sure." Rory answered, getting more confused.

"Which would you saw you like better, roses or lillies?" Emily asked. "Which does Christa like?"

"I like sunflowers." Rory answered, naming her favourite flower. "Christa likes roses." 

"Perfect." Emily said, sounding happy. "Now, what about music?" She asked. "N'Sync or 98°? Which do you like better and which does Christa?"

Rory was now **really** confused. N'Sync or 98°? Why in the world would Emily care?

"Uh, N'Sync or 98°?" She asked Lane.

Her friend made a face. "What kind of sick joke is that?"

"I don't think I could choose." Rory told her grandmother honestly.

"What about that other group?" Emily pressed. "The Backside Boys?"

Rory had to stifle a laugh. "You mean the Backstreet Boys?" 

"Yes, that's it." Emily said. "So which do you like? And what about your sister?"

Rory knew she wasn't getting out of it. The truth was, she hated all three bands, but she didn't want to tell Emily that. "Um, I guess if I really had to choose, I'd say N'Sync." She said after a moment.

"Great." Emily told her. "And Christa?"

Rory tried to imagine her sister's answer to that question and wonder what her grandmother would say if Rory told her that Christa was into Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, not boy bands.

"I guess, 98°." She answered, knowing her sister thought Nick Lachey was hot, at least.

"Wonderful." Emily said, sounding really exciting.

"Are you writing this down?" Rory asked, still not sure where the questions were coming from.

"Maybe." Emily said coyly.

"What for?" Rory asked.

"You'll see." Emily told her. "I'm looking forward to dinner on Friday."

"Okay, yeah, me too." Rory answered, then hung up the phone. She turned to Lane. "Okay, what was that?"

"Sounded like some sick take on the Gallup survey." Lane told her and then stood up. "I gotta go." 

"Later." Rory said and then she picked up the phone again and dialled her sister's cell phone.

"Hello?" Christa answered with a laugh.

"It's me." Rory told her.

"Hey, Rory." Christa greeted, then laughed again. "You guys be quiet, I'm on the phone."

"Where are you?" Rory asked, hearing all the noise in the background. 

"Oh, just hanging out with a bunch of people." Christa told her. "So what's up?"

Rory understood that her sister didn't want to answer any questions and that made her little nervous, but the truth was, she didn't think she really wanted the answers. "Grandma called." She told her sister. "And she wanted to know the weirdest things?"

"Like what?" Christa asked curiously.

"What our favourite colours were, what flowers we liked, whether we preferred 98° or N'Sync." Rory answered.

"Eww." Christa said. "Did you tell her that I wouldn't be caught dead listening ot either?"

"No." Rory answered with a sigh. "But it was really weird."

"That's Emily for you." Christa told her. "What do you think she's up to?"

"I have no idea." Rory said honestly. "I just thought I'd warn you."

"Thanks for the heads up." Christa told her. "I'll see you in school tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." Rory said and hung up the phone. Obviously Christa was busy and Rory was 90 certain she didn't want to know what it was she was doing. It was just better that way.

* * *


	37. Part ThirtySeven: GreenEyed Monster

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Thirty-Seven: Green-Eyed Monster

"You're going out with Mike O'Brien?" Tristan demanded when Christa got to her locker on Monday morning.

"Hello to you to." She told him. "And yes, I have a date with Mike."

"He's an ass." Tristan informed her.

"So are you." Christa retorted. "Didn't stop me from going out with you did it? Besides it's just one date."

"What does _Colin_ think about that?" Tristan asked, his tone sarcastic as he said Colin's name. "Assuming he's still in the picture, that is." 

"He doesn't care." Christa said honestly. "Though, yes, I'm still seeing Colin occasionally, but _he's_ smart enough not to overcomplicate things."

"You mean, he sees as many girls as possible." Tristan commented.

Chrsita shrugged. "So what if he does?" She looked at him. "Who are you to criticize me, anyway? Summer? You really couldn't do any better?"

"Why do you care?" Tristan asked. "It's not like you want to be my girlfriend."

"No, I don't." Christa said honestly. "I like you, Tristan, and I thought we were good together, but I don't do relationships." 

"No, you like to have your men in variety, don't you?" Tristan asked bitterly.

"You said it." Christa told him, taking her books out of locker. "Now, if we're done here, I have class."

With that, she slammed her locker door close and walked away from Tristan, not bothering to look back.

* * *

"You seem grouchy." Rory commented to Christa at lunch.

"Tristan." Christa told her, making a face. "He corned me before class and..."

"It didn't go well?" Rory guessed. 

"No." Christa said shortly. "The nerve of that boy, objecting to who I date. Damn him."

Rory watched Christa and wondered if Tristan still really liked Christa and that was why he was giving her a hard time.

"What set him off?" Rory asked. She figured it couldn't be Colin, not this time, after all Christa had been seeing Colin since things had blown up with Tristan.

"I have a date with Mike O'Brian." Christa told him. "The senior?" Rory asked, blinking. 

"Yeah." Christa said with a shrug. "He asked me. I said yes."

"He's got a bit of a reputation." Rory said, thinking about how the senior was just like Tristan, but older.

Christa snorted. "You haven't met Colin or Logan."

"Thank heavens for small mercies." Rory muttered, she'd heard enough about her sister's friends to be absolutely certain she didn't want to meet them. After all, they had talked her into stealing a car for fun. To Rory, that said a lot about their character.

"Believe me, when I say, Mike O'Brien ain't anything compared to those two." Christa said with a chuckle. "Besides, I can take care of myself."

* * *

"Why are Christa and I so different?" Rory asked Lorelai that night.

Lorelai blinked. "Because you're two entirely different people?" She answered, wondering where her daughter was going with this. 

"We're identical twins." Rory pointed out. "We have the same DNA, the same parents, yet... Sometimes, I just don't understand her at all."

"Honey, you and Christa are twins, but you weren't raised together." Lorelai reminded her. "There was a lot of differences in how you brought up." 

It was more than that, though, or at least Lorelai thought it was. It was like her daughter's had just taken the same genes and gone opposite directions.

Rory was so cautious, so careful, in many ways so unlike Lorelai as a teenager, whereas Christa... Christa was just like Lorelai back then, reckless, headstrong and rebellious.

Maybe that was why Lorelai worried about Christa and not Rory. Rory would turn out okay, Lorelai was sure of it, Christa... Well, only God knew that for sure...

* * *


	38. Part ThirtyEight: Old Issues

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Thirty-Eight: Old Issues

"So how was your date with Mike?" Rory asked Christa as the three of them gathered for Friday Night dinner.

Christa shrugged. "Boring. He talks about himself too much."

He was also a bit grabby, but she had managed to take care of that quickly. Christa was **very** good at standing up for herself.

"So you won't be going out with him again?" Lorelai asked.

"Nope." Christa told her and shrugged. "It's not like there's not a lot of guys out there."

That week alone, she'd had three invitations. Two from guys at Chilton and one from Robert. She'd been hesitant about the Robert one because of Colin. They didn't have any strings, but she wasn't sure how he'd feel about her dating one of his friends. So, she'd told Robert she'd get back to him. She did have a date with Colin, an actual date thingy without the others the next night, she figured she'd broach it then.

Lorelai shook her head and rung the doorbell.

A second later, Emily answered, beaming. "Hello, hello, hello." She greeted.

Christa and Lorelai exchanged looks. Who was this and what had the done with Emily?

"Wow, Mom, hi." Lorelai said cautiously. She leaned over to Christa. "Uh, check the rubbing alcohol."

Christa giggled.

"How was the drive?" Emily asked, ignoring Lorelai's comment.

"The drive was fine." Lorelai told her. "Good." Emily said, still entirely too cheerful.

"The foyer looks great." Lorelai commented.

"I have a surprise for you two." Emily said, beaming at the twins.

"The rest of the house ran away?" Lorelai inquired.

"No." Emily said giving her a look, then she turned back to the twins. "Rory, Christa, come with me."

Emily grabbed a hand from each twin and pulled them away, leaving Lorelai to follow behind. Emily lead them upstairs to one of the guest bedrooms.

"Voila." Emily told her.

"Oh, my." Rory murmured.

"This is your room, Rory."

Christa looked around and saw that the room had been done in what Emily probably thought was teenage girl style. Stuffed animals and a big blue throw. Pink and blue pillows and a pink feather boa on the bed. Pots of sunflowers and a large N'Sync poster. It was pretty, but Christa could **not** picture her twin in there.

"Christa, come here." Emily beckoned and lead her to another room, while Rory and Lorelai followed.

This was one was done completely in lavender, the bedspread, the curtains, the pillows. Again, there were stuffed animals, but all white or purple. There were bouquets of roses, in white and lavender, and 98° posters. It was very sweet and like something out of Christa's worst nightmares.

"Rory explained how much you like purple." Emily explained.

_Purple yes, lavender no, _Christa thought, but didn't say.

"It's pretty." She said, since it was the truth.

"You two girls have been spending so much time here lately, I thought you should each have your own special place."

Christa tried to imagine thinking of this room as her 'special place'. Hell, even her room at Straub and Francine's wasn't so sugary. At least there were no 98° Posters there.

"Thanks Grandma." Rory said, giving her a hug.

"Yes, thanks." Christa said and after a minute, she gave Emily a weak hug.

Emily beamed at them, though mostly at Rory. "You two are very welcome."

"Now come on, lets of downstairs and see if dinner's ready."

"You two go." Lorelai instructed.

Christa saw the look on her mother's face and knew that she wasn't at all thrilled by this gesture. "Okay." She grabbed Rory and headed down the stairs, wondering what was about to happen.

* * *

"You bought them _CosmoGirl _and _Seventeen_." Lorelai said quietly, as soon as the girls had disappeared.

"Well, the young girls enjoy the articles." Emily defended.

"You bought boy band posters and _Hello Kitty _notepads." Lorelai continued, wondering if her mother even knew the twins at all. The rooms were so unlike them, especially Christa. The idea, that she'd ever want a room like this...

"A lovely young girl at the store helped me pick them out." Emily told her.

"You filled the rooms with sunflowers and roses." Lorelai said, looking around.

"Rory likes sunflowers and Christa likes roses." Emily said, looking at Lorelai as if she was stupid.

"I know that." Lorelai said quietly. They were her kids after all.

"What_ is_ the matter, Lorelai?" Emily demanded.

"Nothing." Lorelai said, shaking her head. "I don't know. It's just a little weird that's all."

She didn't know why it bugged her, especially with Christa, since she was sure the Haydens had done something similar. But in a way, that was different, since she had no control over that aspect of Christa's life, but this... This felt like an intrusion.

"Why is it weird to do something for my granddaughters?" Emily demanded.

Lorelai sighed. "I don't know. I mean, it's not like you bought her a car." She gave her a mother look. "By the way, don't." It was bad enough that the Haydens had bought Christa a car, she didn't need her parents buying Rory one. "They're just rooms and... you know, you're right." Lorelai admitted. "They're nice. I'm sorry. I'm just being silly."

"Maybe you don't like the fact that they each now have a place away from you, especially Rory. You don't like the fact that she some place that's just her own."

Lorelai wasn't sure if that was true or not, though the fact that that place was close to her parents, might be the problem. "I said I was fine." She said quietly, not wanting to get into a fight with her mother.

"Or maybe it's because its so large and spacious and has four solid walls around the bathtub." Emily continued, glaring at her.

"What?" Lorelai asked, not sure what her mother was getting at.

"I mean, it may not be exciting or bohemian, but at least it doesn't have shovels propped up against the sofa either, now does it?" Emily demanded.

Lorelai closed her eyes. So that was what this was about. The potting shed, Rory's childhood. She should have known Rory taking her mother to the Dragon Fly was a bad idea.

"I'm sorry." Lorelai said, trying to avoid the argument. "I missed the checkered flag, when did the argument start?"

"Is it because it's not a shack in the woods?" Emily continued. "Or is it the proximity to me that's making it so uncomfortable for you?"

Lorelai knew her mother had hit the nail on the head, but she wasn't going to admit it. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

"You hated us that much?!" Emily exclaimed.

"What?" Lorelai asked, honestly taken aback. She hadn't expected her mother to be thrilled about the potting shed, but...

"You had to take those little girls away. That was bad enough." Emily accused. "But to that? To live there, in a shed, like a hobo, and to let Christopher take Christa to basements and garages and expose her to God knows what?"

Lorelai was taken aback, it was the first time she'd ever heard her mother speak out against St. Christopher.

"I saw it." Emily told her angrily. "I saw that horrible pit you so proudly ran to. I saw what you chose over your own family. You would've lived in the gutter, in the street, it a cardboard box, anywhere as long as you didn't have to be near us, isn't that true?"

Lorelai winced. Her mother's words weren't exactly true, but they weren't exactly a lie either. She'd just been so unhappy in this house and she'd needed her independence and that little potting shed proven it.

As for Chris, he'd done a decent job as a parent and if for him to do that he'd had to live in basement apartments and garages, then who was she to judge? They'd both done what they'd had to. For their girls.

"Mom..." She said quietly, trying to figure out something to say. But the truth was, she didn't think there was anything she **could **say.

"Isn't that true, Lorelai?" Emily pressed.

"Mom, I was very young and I was very unhappy." Lorelai told her. "I needed to be some place that wasn't here."

Lorelai saw that her mother was on the brink of tears.

"Excuse me." She said, pushing past Lorelai.

Lorelai watched her go sadly, wondering if there would ever be a time when things between her and her mother didn't ugly. Probably not. She just hoped that it never got like that between her and her girls.

* * *

"You're awfully quiet." Rory commented as the three of them drove home.

Dinner had been awful. Emily and Lorelai had just sort of stared at each other through the meal, neither of them really talking, leaving all the conversation up to Christa and Rory.

"I am." Lorelai stated.

"Is it Grandma?" Christa asked, from the backseat.

She'd driven herself to Stars Hollow and then went to Hartford with them since she was spending the night. Rory looked at her sister, envying the way she always managed to get straight to the point.

"I just sometimes wish certain things could be different." Lorelai said quietly.

"Like what?" Rory wanted to know.

"Like, um, wouldn't it be great if once, just once, I could make my mother hear me." Lorelai replied with a sigh. "I mean _really_ hear me, even if it was just for one second."

"Are you talking about the rooms?" Christa asked, before Rory could say anything. "I noticed you looked upset."

Lorelai sighed again. "The room, the potting shed, my entire life after age 6." She told them softly. "My mother and I just don't communicate well. I should know that by now."

"This is my fault." Rory realized with a sigh. She should have known that taking her grandmother to the Inn was a bad idea.

"How is it your fault?" Lorelai questioned.

"I shouldn't have taken her there." Rory explained. "To the potting shed, I mean."

"Oh, Rory." Lorelai murmured, shaking her head. "Honey..."

"I just thought if she saw how we lived and how pretty it was the the lake and the swans..."

"That she'd do a happy dance?" Lorelai asked in disbelief.

Christa snorted in the background. "I'd _pay_ to see that."

Rory ignored her sister and sighed. What had she expected? "That she'd feel included." She said after a minute. "I thought that maybe then..."

"The whole me running away thing wouldn't be such a big deal?" Lorelai asked softly, then shook her head. "Oh, honey, me running away from them and the decisions your father and I made about the two of you, are _always _gonna be a big deal. There is nothing that you can do to change that."

"Can I ask you a question?" Rory said after a moment.

"Yes, I would date Steven Tyler." Lorelai told her with a grin. "Go Mom!" Christa shouted out.

Rory made a face. "Can I ask you a question whose answer wouldn't horrify me?"

"Go ahead." Lorelai told her quietly.

Rory paused, trying to figure out how to phrase the question. "Do you think you and Grandma will ever be able to talk about all the things you've gone through?" Rory asked her.

Christa snorted and Rory gave her a look.

"No." Lorelai answered promptly.

"You didn't even consider it." Rory complained.

"I'm sorry... No." Lorelai repeated.

"Why?" Rory wanted to know. She couldn't imagine not being able to talk to her mother about what was bothering her, so why was it so different for her mom and grandma?

"Because it would just end badly." Lorelai told her quietly.

"It doesn't have to." Rory persisted. Christa made a scoffing sound and Rory turned to glare at her. "Well it doesn't."

"Yes, it does, baby." Lorelai said patiently. "It would be like the first 15 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, but at least those guys got to be in France."

"You've never tried." Rory insisted, not sure why this was so important to her, but it was.

"Oh, no. That's not true." Lorelai told her quietly. "I have tried. I have tried my whole life. But my mother and I, we speak a different language. I talk, I think I'm being clear, and all she hears is 'Blah blah blah Ginger.'"

"Emily's not exactly the World's Greatest Listener." Christa commented dryly.

"But if you won't talk and she won't listen, then how is anything ever gonna change?" Rory asked her mother, ignoring her twin.

Lorelai shot her a sad look. "I don't know."

Rory sighed. Adults, why were they so damn confusing?

* * *


	39. Part ThirtyNine: Roads Better Left Untra

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Thirty-Nine: Roads Better Left Untravelled

"You seem stressed." Logan commented to Christa the next night.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm at a social event with my grandparents, how do you expect me to be?"

It was some charity dinner and thankfully, Logan had decided to rescue her.

"So where's the sub-party?" She asked with a warm smile.

Logan pasued. "Um, Christa..."

"Colin has a date." Christa said with a smile. "I know."

Logan smield in relief. "Okay, I just, I know you said you didn't care, but..."

"It really is okay." Christa assured with a smile. "I don't own Colin and he doesn't own me. No strings."

Logan shook his head. "I believe that you acutally mean that." As he talked, he lead her out of the ballroom and towards the room where the party was being held.

"That's because I do." Christa assured him. She had felt a twinge when Colin had told her he had arranged to meet up with this other girl and she thoguht about what Stephanie had told her, but the truth was, she didn't want to date only Colin and she didn't expect him to date only her. Strings just made everything complicated.

"You are fabulous." Logan told her. "Definitly my kind of girl and on that note, can I get you a drink?"

"Of course." Christa said with a laugh.

"Tequila?" Logan asked, proving how well he had gotten to know her in the last few months.

Christa giggled. "Of course."

Logan shot her a grin. "One bottle of tequila coming up for milady."

Christa smiled coyly. "You know Logan, _you_ might just be the perfect man."

Logan's grin grew even wider. "Well, I _do_ aim to please."

* * *

"You're really not bothered, are you?" Stephanie asked coming up behind Christa.

She was referring to where Colin was cuddled up with some blonde. Christa shook her head.

"Not particularly." She had wondered at that when she had saw Colin and the other girl, wondered if she was abnormal because it didn't matter. The girl wouldn't last. Christa knew that, not like she would.

The truth was, she liked and was attracted to Colin, but if she had to choose between having him as a friend or a playmate, she'd choose friend hands down.

Stephanie laughed. "I just don't get it. How can it not get to you?"

Christa shrugged. "Why should it?"

Stephanie shook her head and then smiled. "Nevermind." With that the blonde girl walked away, just as Logan reappeared at Christa's side.

"What was that about?" He asked, leading her over to a sofa, one on the opposite side of the room than Colin and his blonde.

Christa shrugged. "I have no idea." She said honestly. "I think she doesn't understand why I don't get jealous."

"Why don't you?" Logan asked her. "I mean, it's just most girls..." "

I know." Christa told him. "I just... Jealousy is a rather pointless emotion, is it not? It's just a waste of time."

Logan chuckled. "You're a very odd girl, Christa."

"I prefer unique." She told him pertly. "Or original. Original's always good."

Logan laughed and then, without warning, pulled her into his lap. "You're definitly one of a kind." He muttered, as he kissed her.

Christa kissed him back for a long moment, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck. It was a great kiss. No doubt about that. Logan was just as skilled as Collin in that department, perhaps even more so.

Yet, after a moment Christa pulled away from the kiss and put her hand on Logan's face. "Not a good idea." She told him softly, one arm still around his neck.

"Why not?" Logan challenged with a grin.

"Collin?" Christa burst out laughing. "Umm, no."

"Then why?" Logan asked her. "I mean, I find you **very **appealing and I think you're attracted to me."

"I'm not blind." Christa said with a laugh.

"So?" Logan asked. "If there's mutual attraction and a lot of chemistry and no issues with Collin, then what coiuld possibly be wrong?"

Christa was asking herself that question. It wasn't that Colin and Logan were best friends, that hadn't stopped her before. She **was** attracted to Logan and that kiss... Well, it was worth repetion, yet...

"We're friends." She said quietly. "Really, truly friends."

Logan blinked. "So? So are you and Colin."

"Yes, but not until after we had already gotten involved." Christa reminded him. "You and I, well we're already friends and maybe that it's. Maybe I need it to have that."

Before Colin, she didn't mix romance and friendship, but she'd also never had any really good friends. Not the way Logan and Collin had become. She and Colin had alreayd messed with that, but it was workable. Somehow, Christa doubted she'd get that lucky twice.

She smiled. "Besides, there are lots of girls who can't resist the Huntzberger charm, so your ego could probabyl use this."

Logan grinned. "If you inisist."

"I do." Christa said, getting off his lap. "Friends are better than lovers, Logan."

Logan chuckled. "I'd love to disagree, but I doubt you'd let me."

"Nope." Christa said pertly.

Logan shrugged. "Oh well, if you ever cahnge your mind, I'm here."

"I'll keep that in mind." Chriusta said dryly, reaching for her drink and taking a big gulp.

She knew that she and Logan would never have this discussion again, that somhow that road had been passed and there was no turning back. She looked at the handsome blonde and felt a moment's twinge of pity. He **was** hot, after all.

* * *


	40. Part Forty: Changes in the Air

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Forty: Changes in the Air

"So what do you think?" Lorelai asked the girls. She'd taken them out to the old Dragonfly Inn, the one that Rachel had shown her.

Sookie was there too, exploring the actual Inn, while Lorelai and her girls sat on a blanket outside.

"It's got a great view." Rory told her.

"Good highway access too." Christa added, then grinned. "Though, you might want to do a few repairs." "

Just a few." Lorelai agreed.

"I love that window back in the..." Rory said, then trailed off, looking at Lorelai.

Lorelai shrugged. "LIbrary? Oh, no, lobby. No, uh, bathroom?"

"I'd get that decided before you open." Christa said dryly.

Lorelai laughed. "Might be a good idea."

"There's absolutely no kitchen space here." Sookie told her, coming out to the front porch. "How are we supposed to open a bed and breakfast when there's no place to cook breakfast! It's just a bed. We'll have to charge half price."

"We'll build a new kitchen, Sookie." Lorelai soothed.

"I'll need plenty of ventilation." Sookie warned her. "And an area for an outdoor fireplace for barbecues. Plus storage. Where do these people put anything? Ooh! And a pantry. And a canning room. And I'd love to smoke our own meats."

Lorelai exchanged amused smiles with her girls at Sookie's list.

"Absolutely." Lorelai promised, though she was wondering why they'd need to smoke their own meats, but she wasn't the chef.

"I don't know if this is gonna work." Sookie said doubtfully. "I mean, I have to do some floor plans. Where is that plumbing?" Sookie walked away, still mumbling to herself.

"Wow, your own inn." Rory said in amazement.

"Cool, huh?" LOrelai asked happily.

"Very cool." Christa replied with a smile.

"It's gonna be a really big job." Rory warned.

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah." She knew that. She know that it would take a lot of work, that it wouldn't be easy and that they wouldn't be able to do it right away, but...

"So how long you think before you guys own this place?" Rory asked.

"Oh, sweetie, it's going to be a very, very, very long time." Lorelai told her.

"You think it'll still be here?"

Lorelai looked at the inn, which was falling apart, and saw the screen down fall down off the hinges.

"I think they've got a good shot." Christa said dryly.

Lorelai chuckled and ruffled her daughter's hair. "I think your right, kiddo, we've got a shot."

* * *

"Hey Princess." Christopher greeted Christa that night, over the phone.

"Hey Dad." Christa said with a smile, leaning against her pillows.

"Been keeping out of trouble?" Christopher asked.

"To a point." Christa answered.

"That's my girl." Christopher replied and she could tell he was smiling. "How are your mom and Rory?"

"They're good." Christa told him and then filled him in on the all the latest news.

"How would you feel about staying on the East Coast?" Christopher asked her.

"You want to move back to Connecticut?" Christa asked, surprised.

Her father liked having distance between him and his parents.

"No." Christopher told her. "I've been offered a job in Boston."

"What kind of job?" Christa asked warily.

"A 9 to 5 one." Christopher told her and then explained it. "So what do you think, kiddo? Would you like to relocate to the East Coast?"

"Definitely." Christa said enthusiastically. Boston, that would be perfect. Far enough away that she wouldn't have to see a lot of the grandparents, but close enough that these could see her mom and Rory often, as well as still hang out with Logan and Colin.

"All right." Christopher told her. "So, I'll probably take the job. Just don't say anything to your mom until I decide for sure, okay?"

"Sure." Christa agreed, knowing with Christopher that was for the best. After all, things did have a habit of falling through where her dad was concerned.

* * *


	41. Part FortyOne: The Good Granddaughter

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Forty-One: The Good Granddaughter

"Miss Hayden, your grandfather wants you." The maid, who's name Christa couldn't remember, said hesitantly, standing in the doorway of Christa's room.

Christa nodded and put down the report she was attempting to go. "Okay."

She straightened her clothes and headed downstairs to Straub's office. It wasn't often that he summoned her and she wondered what she had done this time.

When she got there, she was surprised to see that her grandfather wasn't alone, two other men.

"Christine, there you are." Straub said when he saw her, standing up. "I'd like you to meet some old associates of mine."

"Nice to meet you." Christa said, shaking the hands that were offered.

"Edward, Hiram, this charming young lady is my granddaughter, Christine." Straub introduced with a rare smile in Christa's direction.

"Christopher's girl?" Edward asked, smiling at Christa. "Your grandfather speaks highly of you."

Christa smiled politely. "That's always nice to hear."

The other man gave her a long, critical look. "I hear that you've become aquatinted with my grandson." He said after a moment. "If that's true, then I have to say that his taste in friends has certainly improved."

"Who's your grandson?" Christa asked with a smile.

"Logan Huntzberger." Hiram told her.

Christa's smile widened. "Yes, Logan and I have become really good friends." She said fondly.

Hiram just nodded. "Hmm..."

"Grandchildren really are the joy of life aren't they?" Edward asked with a smile. "I know Molly and I dote on our three."

"Yes, Christine is the light of Francine and I's life." Straub said, sending Christa a fond look. "We're blessed to have her."

Christa stiffened slightly, the implication of the words beng said hitting her. "_We're blessed to have her." "Christopher's girl?" "You're grandfather speaks highly of you." _It all implied that it was just her, that she was Straub and Francine's only granddaughter, there was no mention of Rory at all.

"Grandfather, I have some homework I still have to finish." Christa said after a moment.

Straub smiled at her. "Of course, go do your work."

Christa nodded and left, wondering why her grandfather could be so doting, but only to her, even when he was playing the loving granddaughter he seemed to forget that Rory even existed, how could he do that? How could he pretend one of his granddaughter's didn't even exist?

* * *

  
"What's wrong?" Lorelai asked her daughter, the second Christa walked into the house.

Christa had that "I have something on my mind" look on her face.

"Nothing." Christa muttered, then she sighed. "It's just Straub had some friends over and he was showing me off and it was like Rory doesn't even exist."

Lorelai sighed. She hated those people, she really did. Sixteen years hadn't changed her feelings for Christopher's parents. The way they had treated Christopher is entire life and now the way they were treating the girls... One didn't exist and the other was the recipient of all their hopes, dreams and unrealistic expectations.

"Honey." Lorelai said quietly, not sure what else to say. "Your grandparents... It's complicated."

"You can say a lot about Richard and Emily, but they never pretend that either Rory or I don't exist."

"That's true." Lorelai said, for once grateful for her parents. "Though, I'm sure there are times when they'd prefer to pretend that _I _didn't exist."

"So why are Grandfather and Grandmother like that?" Christa asked quietly.

Lorelai was silent, not sure how to answer that. She had never understood the Haydens and probably never would. "They're just... They're difficult. They're not warm people, they don't know how to be, but in their own way, they do care."

About Christa, at least. Rory didn't matter to them, she never had, but Lorelai didn't say that now, because it wouldn't help, it would just make things worse.

The truth was, in her opinion, Christopher's parents were cold, hard people, but they were good to Christa and that stood for something. Just not enough. At least not in Lorelai's eyes.

* * *


	42. Part FortyTwo: Dating and Other Mysterie

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Forty-Two: Dating and Other Mysteries  
  
"So, Max asked me out on a date." Lorelai told Christa a few days later.

Lorelai was in Hartford for her business class and the two of them were having dinner, something they did every once in a while. It gave them a chance to have some rare Mommy/Christa alone time.

"You're going out with Mr. Medina again?" Christa said with a shrug. "Cool. He's kinda cute."

Christa hadn't been in Connecticut for most of Lorelai's relationship with Max, but she knew about it and that they were back in contact.

"Would it bother you?" Lorelai asked. "Rory had issues with me dating one of her teachers."

"I'm not Rory." Christa pointed out with a smile.

Lorelai smiled back. "That's true." She knew she should stop expecting Christa to react the way Rory would, but sometimes she couldn't help it. They looked so alike on the outside and sometimes she still expected them to be more alike inside.

"So when are you going out?" Christa asked, obviously genuinely interested.

"Saturday." Lorelai confided with a smile. "I'll need help picking out an outfit."

Christa was more like her in the clothes sense, always good with the shopping and the picking of the perfect outfit. "I have a date myself, but I'd loved to come over first."

"So who are you going out with?" Lorelai inquired.

"Colin." Christa told her. "Well, it's not really a date, we're doing this party thing. Friday, I'm going out with this guy Robert."

"Got a date Sunday?" Lorelai asked with a smile, amused by her daughter's active social life.

"No." Christa said with a grin. "Sunday I'm going with Straub and Francine to some social thing."

"Sounds like fun." Lorelai said, making a face.

Christa laughed. "Pretty much, but at least the guys'll be there, so I will have fun."

Lorelai repressed making a face, since she wasn't crazy about Christa's choice of friends, but she knew better than to say anything about it. Rory's life she could interfere with, or at least voice her opinion, but with Christa it was different. With Christa she was never really sure what her role was or if she was really allowed to have a say.

"Did I tell you that I'm helping Luke pick out a birthday present for Rachel?" Lorelai asked brightly, changing the subject away from awkward mother/daughter moments.

* * *

  
"I'm glad you agreed to go out with me." Robert said with a smile Friday night.

"I am too." Christa said with a laugh.

It had been a nice evening, they'd gone out for dinner and to a movie, a nice quiet evening, and it had given her a chance to get to know Robert a bit better. It was definitely an improvement over a lot of her dates, that was for sure.

"Are you going to the party tomorrow?" Robert asked her now, as he prepared to drop her off.

"Yeah." Christa told him, then added, "with Colin."

"Oh." Robert said after a moment. "Are you two still..."

"Sometimes." Christa told him. "It's just casual, no big deal."

Robert looked amazed. "You are an unusual girl, aren't you, Christa?"

"Unique." Christa corrected. "I'm one-of-a-kind, well, two-of-a-kind, rather."

"Two?" Robert asked in confusion.

"I'm an identical twin." Christa told him. "But my sister, Rory, lives with our mom, while I live with our dad. Well, right now I'm with my grandparents, but..."

Robert just nodded and Christa knew he was probably used to hearing stories of messed home lives. "How do you feel about the ballet?" Robert asked her.

Christa shrugged. "No big feelings. Why?"

"My mother's a big fan and she's dragging me to a special gala performance on Thursday." Robert told her. "How would you like to go with me? I promise there will be a flask and I think at least Logan is being dragged, so there should be a sub-party at the after thing."

"Sounds like fun." Christa said with a smile. "That sounds good."

"Great." Robert said, then he leaned over and kissed her. It was a deep, lingering kiss. It didn't have the same intensity as Collin's kisses, or even Logan or Tristan's, but it was still a very nice kiss.

Finally, Christa pulled herself away. "I should go inside." She whispered.

Robert nodded and got out of the car, walking around ot open her door. "I had a good time." He told her again, as he helped her out of the car.

"So did I." Christa said with a smile. "So did I."

* * *

  
"Lane and Dean are working on a project together." Rory whined to her sister.

Christa winced. "Ouch. That sucks."

"Yeah." Rory said with a sigh. She knew it shouldn't bother her, it wasn't Lane's fault, but... She still felt betrayed.

"Do you want me to stay here tonight?" Christa asked her. "I was going to go to this party, but... If you want to bitch about Lane and Dean, we could, I mean, I know Mom has her date with Max, but..."

"What?!" Rory asked, cutting off her sister. "What about Mom and Max?"

Christa bit her lip. "Mom didn't tell you that she's seeing Max again?"

"No!" Rory exclaimed. "She told you?"

"She mentioned it." Christa said with a shrug.

Rory was silent. So Lorelai was talking to Christa about her love life and not her? She knew she was probably making too much of it, but... She hated the feeling it left inside of her.

"She probably just hasn't had a chance to tell you." Christa said with a shrug.

"Probably." Rory agreed quietly. "You know... I'm good. I'm just going to stay in and read tonight."

"You sure?" Christa asked. "Its just a party, get drunk, make-out and then go home and do it all over again the next weekend. I won't be missing much by skipping it."

Rory winced at her sister's description. "It doesn't bother you, living like that?" Rory asked in disbelief.

Christa shrugged. "No, why should it? After all, I'm only young once."

Rory shook her head. There were times she felt completely alien to her own twin and on the outside looking in of her own life...

* * *

  



	43. Part FortyThree: The Trials of the Good

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Forty-Three: The Trials of the Good Twin

"You're distracted." Collin commented as he nuzzled Christa's neck.

The party was at Logan's this time and Collin had scored a private room for the two of them. They'd go back to the others in a few minutes, but they liked the private time. In fact, they'd be crashing there that night, Christa having made excuses to her grandparents. She was looking forward to it, she always enjoyed her time spent with Collin...

"Sorry." She said, making a face. "Just thinking. I told Rory something I shouldn't have and might have made trouble for our mom."

"Oh?" Collin asked. "I thought your mom told you guys everything."

Christa shrugged. "Usually, but Rory's a little... Judgemental at times."

"She's the good twin, right?" Collin asked.

Christa wrinkled her nose. "Oh, yeah, I'm the wild one, while Rory's the good girl. Sometimes she's a little too straight-laced, ya know?"

"So what did your mom do?" Collin asked, playing with a strand of her long hair.

"She's dating one of our teachers." Christa said with a shrug. "I don't care, but Rory, Rory does. They dated a few months back and broke up because of Rory and now they're back together and Mom doesn't want to tell her, but I kinda did."

Collin shrugged. "So your mom's dating a teacher, so what? She's what 32?"

"Yep." Christa confirmed. "I don't care, but Rory hates having people gossip about her and this is gossip."

Collin raised an eyebrow. "How does she survive? Gossip is lifeblood of the Hartford elite."

"She doesn't participate." Christa said flatly. "Mom's kept her sheltered, away from all this. Its how she stays the innocent twin."

There was a little bit of bitterness in her tone, she knew that, but... Well, sometimes the differences between her Rory and got to her. Rory was so good and so nice and so pure and Christa... Well, not so much on any of those. She was never gonna be the good twin, she'd accepted that a long time ago.

Collin wrinkled his nose. "Paragons of virtue aren't my type, I like my girls a little on the wild side." He said suggestively, running his hands over Christa's body.

"Want me to demonstrate?" He asked, slipping a hand up under Christa's purple crop-top.

"Yes please." She whispered, pulling him down for a kiss and after that there was no talking for quite some time...

* * *

Rory couldn't help but sulk.

She hadn't had a chance to ask her mom about the Max thing, since by the time she had gotten home, Lorelai was gone. Christa was at her party, which was okay, for once she didn't really want her twin around.

She just... First there was Dean and Lane and now Lorelai was telling Christa stuff and not her and... Well, it just, everything was building up and it sucked. She wanted it to stop. Now.

She hated being mad at her best friend, but she was, and she hated being mad at her mother, but she was, and she hated resenting her twin, but again...

That was the hardest one, she'd never dealt with sibling rivalry before with Christa being so far away, but now she was here and Rory found herself envying the relationship her twin had with their mother.

Rory had a great relationship with her mom, she knew that, but Lorelai's relationship with Christa was different, in some ways they seemed to understand each other better and they had this crazy rebel thing going that Rory knew she'd never understand.

Just then Rory felt like she had to get out, go far away and she knew there was one place she could go to hide. Before she could stop herself she went and picked up the phone and dialled for a cab.

She scribbled a quick note for Lorelai and threw some stuff in the bag. She just needed to be away.

* * *

Lorelai came home from her date with Max, surprised to find the house completely dark. It wasn't like Rory to be in bed so early, so she was a little surprised.

She opened the front door and called out "Rory, hun, you here?" but there was no answer.

She flipped on the light and saw the note waiting for her.

_Mom-_

I need some time out. I've gone to Grandma and Grandpa's, I'll be there overnight.

- Rory

Lorelai couldn't believe her eyes, her child was running away? And she had chosen to run to Richard and Emily?

Lorelai had run away from them and now Rory was running to them. Wasn't that ironic?

Lorelai hurried to the phone, about to call her parents and demand they bring Rory home, but then she changed her mind. It wouldn't have worked on her as a teenager and it wouldn't work on Rory.

But why would she have run away? Suddenly a thought occurred to Lorelai, Christa might know.

She hurried and dialled her daughter's cellphone.

After an eternity, someone answered, however that someone definitely wasn't her daughter.

"Christa Hayden's phone, she's busy right now, how can I help?" A male voice answered.

"Collin give me back my phone!" Lorelai could hear her daughter shriek in the background.

"Hello Christa Hayden's phone, this is Christa's mother, can I speak to my daughter?" Lorelai said evenly.

There was a moment of silence then Christa came on the phone. "Sorry about that." Christa apologized. "COllin was goofing around."

So that had been Collin, Lorelai wasn't surprised. Christa dated around, but Collin seemed to be pretty consistent. At least for now.

"Your sister left here and has gone to your grandparents." Lorelai said flatly.

Christa was silent for a long moment. "Rory went to Emily and Richard?" She asked in surprise. "I didn't know she was that upset... Damn, I knew I should've bailed on the party and stayed with her."

"She was upset?" Lorelai asked. "About what?"

Christa sighed. "I accidentally let slip about you and Max and she was already upset about Lane working with Dean on a project and..."

"Damn." Lorelai muttered, feeling guilty about not telling ROry sooner.

"I'm sorry Mom." Christa apologized.

"Its not your fault, babe." Lorelai told her. "I'm the parent here. Anyway, go back to your party, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Christa agreed and hung up.

Lorelai just stood there, wondering what to do next and knowing she'd have to wait until the next day to do anything. It was going to be a very long night, that was for sure.

* * *


	44. Part FortyFour: Mothers, Daughters and

  
Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Forty-Four: Mothers, Daughters and Commitment Issues

After a long sleepless night, Lorelai went to Luke's to just get some coffee to prepare to go see Rory and to face her mother.

"Geez, what happened to you?" Luke asked as soon as she walked in.

Lorelai shot him a dirty look. "And good morning to you too."

"Sorry, you just look bad." Luke told her with a shrug.

"Well, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." Lorelai told him with a scowl. She didn't look that bad, did she?

"Why not?" Luke asked, pouring her a cup of coffee.

"Rory ran away." Lorelai admitted, hating the sound of it.

"What?!" Luke exclaimed frantically. "Where?! Did you..."

"She's fine." Lorelai told him, touched by the expression of concern. "She's at my mother's."

God, that sounded awful.

Luke let out a sigh of relief. "Ok, you really should throw that information in with the first part. Otherwise, you'll scare a person to death."

Lorelai shrugged. "Sorry." She let out a gusty sigh. "You know, I got in my car three times to go get her." She admitted. "I drove halfway there and then turned around."

"She'll cool off and come home." Luke assured her.

Lorelai managed a small smile. "I know." She did know. Rory loved her, they had a good relationship, she was just hurting... But it was hard, because Rory was her good one and she didn't usually do things like this. "Its just... Breaking up with Dean has been so hard on her."

"Yeah." Luke agreed.

"I just hate that she's going through this." Lorelai told him. "I mean, she's such an amazing kid. She's so nice to everyone, she cares about everyone."

It was true, Christa had an edge to her, was a little more self-serving, but not Rory, never Rory.

"And she's walking around in this unbelievable pain and there's nothing I can do it." Lorelai said bitterly. "She won't talk to me. She won't talk to Christa. She won't even tell us what happened."

"I'll tell you what happened." Luke said angrily. "That Dean kid is a jerk and he finally let her know it."

Lorelai wondered if he was right. Rory had been different ever since her break-up with Dean. "I wish I could pinch his head off." She muttered.

"I'll help." Luke volunteered.

Lorelai smiled, that was Luke, always so protective of Rory.

"I warned him." Lorelai continued, her anger building. "I warned him when I first met him, if he hurt her... Ah. Maybe I could key his car."

"Or better yet, you can key Taylor's car and tell him you saw Dean doing it." Luke volunteered.

Lorelai couldn't help but smile, that'd be evil indeed. "Yeah, that'd be good."

"You can key Taylor's cal, tell him Dean did it and also tell him that Dean littered and walks his dog without a leash." Luke continued.

"He'll run him out of town." Lorelai said with a laugh, feeling better.

"Good."

Lorelai glanced at her watch. "All right, I should go. Rory's had enough time to cool down and I've decided to go to my parents and talk to her."

"Good luck." Luke told her. "Coffee's on the house."

Lorelai smiled and stood up. "Thanks."

She exited Luke's and then walked over to the Market. She hesitated for a moment, before going in. She walked straight over to Dean and tapped him on the shoulder. "Got a minute?" She asked.

Dean looked away. "Actually, I'm, uh..."

"I just wanted to tell you that I think you're scum." Lorelai told him flatly. "Gee thanks." Dean muttered, still not looking at her.

"You are gonna be hard pressed to find another girl as fantastic as Rory, you know that?" Lorelai demanded. "She is beautiful and she is smart and she did not deserve to be treated that way by you?"

"Treated what way?" Dean asked, seeming genuinely confused.

"I thought you were a good guy." Lorelai continued, ignoring his interruptions. She'd waited months to get this all out and nothing was stopping her now. "I thought you were going to make her happy. I'm such an idiot that I actually thought you were a good pick. But I was wrong and I hate to be wrong."

"You know what, I am sick and tired of blaming this thing on me!" Dean exclaimed angrily. "I mean, you and this whole stupid town are treating me like I'm a criminal, when I didn't do anything wrong. I say 'I love you' and she just sits there and I'm the jerk? I'm the bad guy?!"

Lorelai stared at him, unable to process what he was saying. "What?" She whispered.

Dean just threw his hands up in the air. "You know what? Fine, think what you want, I don't care. Just leave me alone."

After a moment, Lorelai did what he asked, still trying to process what he had told her. Had she really messed her daughter up that much that she had no idea how to deal with commitment? Because Lorelai was sure that Rory loved Dean, that was why Lorelai had been so angry, because she'd seen her daughter's heart get broken. This revelation through all her beliefs up in the air and she had no idea how to react or how she could fix this for her daughter...

* * *

  
"Can you meet me at Richard and Emily's?"

Christa paused at the question and looked at Collin, who had stopped by to "tutor" her in math--at least that was what they had told Straub and Francine, who had gone out for the afternoon, anyway. Weirdly enough, her grandparents trusted her or maybe they were smart enough to know that whatever she was going to do, she was going to do it with or without their permission and that by allowing it, they at least had some control over it.

"Um, sure." She said finally, figuring her mother wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. "It'd take me a few minutes, but I can do it. What's up?"

She'd much rather hang out with Collin than go see her maternal grandparents, but she knew it had to have something to do with Rory and that meant it had to come first.

Lorelai let out a gusty sigh. "I want to talk to Rory and I want you with me."

"Is that a great idea?" Christa asked, she was wondering if she might not be part of Rory's problem. They'd never had to deal with sibling rivalry before, so it was likely coming as a shock to her sister. It wasn't bothering Christa, but then, that might be because it was Rory who had to share Lorelai, instead of Christa having to share Christopher. Christa was honest enough to admit that if the roles were reversed, she might have a problem with it.

"I found out why she and Dean broke up." Lorelai confessed.

"Oh, why?" Christa asked curiously.

"Christa what would you do if Colin told you he loved you?" Lorelai asked seriously.

Christa shot a look at the boy in question, who was currently tracing lazy circles over her bare stomach as she talked to her mother. "Die of shock?" She offered. "But then love isn't in our game plan. Why? What does this have to do with Rory and Dean?"

"Dean told Rory he loved her and she couldn't return it." Lorelai confessed. "I just... I wonder if I've warped you girls."

"Mom, you've done a great job." Christa assured her. "You and Dad both."

"You flit from guy to guy and apparently your sister is just as commitment shy, but hides it better." Lorelai lamented. "I can't help but worry you learnt that behaviour from us."

"Mom, someday I'll be ready for a real relationship." Christa assured her. "Right now, I'm young and I'm having fun. There's no deep psychological reason, it's just how it is."

She wasn't entirely sure that was true, part of her wondered if her fear of commitment was partially related to her fear of ending up like her mother, pregnant at sixteen, but she refrained from mentioning that now. Somehow she doubted that Lorelai wanted to hear that now.

"I hope so." Lorelai sighed.

"Do you still want me to meet you?" Christa asked.

"No, you're right, I should do this one alone, it's a Mommy-daughter thing." Lorelai told her. "But you should be prepared, if your sister is willing to talk, she'll probably need twin time."

"Not a problem." Christa assured her mother. "Rory always comes first with me."

"You're a good girl." Lorelai told her. "Now go back to whatever boy you're entertaining and I'll talk to you later."

"Will do." Christa said, not even bothering to deny her mother's charge--after all, it was true.

"What did your mother want?" Collin asked lazily.

Christa shrugged. "Same as last night, my sister's having a crisis."

"Do you need me to leave?" Collin asked.

Christa shook her head. "No, Mom's handling this one, so you can stay right where you are."

"Good." Collin said with a sexy grin. "Because I happen to like where I am."

He moved his body, so that he was leaning over Christa, his weight on his hands, his body hovering above hers.

"I like it too." Christa murmured, as Collin's lips met hers in a deep kiss, that helped distract her away from all thoughts of her sister and whatever commitment issues they might have inherited from their parents...

* * *

  
Rory was in her room at her grandparents, lying on the bed, still trying to process everything. Lane working with Dean, Lorelai confiding in Christa, this new found rivalry with her sister... She didn't like any of it and she didn't know how to cope with it.

Just then the door opened and her mother walked through. "Hey."

"Mom!" Rory exclaimed, sitting up quickly. She didn't know why she was surprised, it was just like Lorelai to come after her.

"Okay, so I thought when you said 'I'll see you at home', you meant _our_ home. My mistake." Lorelai told her quietly.

Rory got off the bed and threw herself into her mother's arms. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." Lorelai soothed, hugging her tightly.

"It's just everything..." Rory murmured.

"I know." Lorelai told her. "It's okay, though I am curious as to how you ended up here?"

"I just need a place to escape." Rory told her.

"And you picked Hell?" Lorelai inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Rory shot her a look. "It's not that bad, plus it was the first place to mind."

No matter how Lorelai might feel about her parents, Rory loved her grandparents and they represented a safe haven for her.

"I respect that." Lorelai told her, and Rory knew that she meant it. "Listen, the need to run is a feeling I am well acquainted with, though I always ran _away_ from here. But we have to be able to talk always, babe. No matter how mad or upset we get with each other, our particular special mother/daughter vibe only works if we agree to that, ok?"

Rory knew she was right and she knew that as jealous as she was of the relationship Christa had with her mother, her relationship was just as special, if not more so. Christa and Lorelai might be kindred spirits, but Rory and Lorelai were a team.

"I get it." Rory told her softly.

"Good." Lorelai said and then paused. "Rory, tell me what happened with you and Dean."

Rory winced and turned her head, even after all these months, she still wasn't ready to deal with it. "I don't want to talk about it." She said sullenly.

"Well I do." Lorelai told her.

"Why?" Rory demanded, wanting to know why her mother was pushing the subject now, after all these months of letting it go.

"Because I had a chat with him today." Lorelai told her.

Rory winced. "You didn't."

"I did." Lorelai confirmed.

"No." Rory said in horror.

"There he was stacking cookies and I'm railing on him about what a great kid you are and how it sucked that he dumped you, and then he said that he told you he loved you and I started feeling a little stupid." Lorelai confessed.

"He did tell me." Rory admitted. "He told me and I just sat there, like an idiot."

"If it makes you better, your sister probably would have kicked him or started screaming." Lorelai told her.

Rory smiled, despite herself. "That _does_ make me feel better."

"It must have been hard on him." Lorelai said quietly.

Rory sighed. "I know. He looked so hurt. I didn't know what to do, I didn't want to hurt him, I just... I got scared, so I sat there."

"I understand." Lorelai told her. "You know, I'm still learning about this relationship stuff too and since I'm still learning, I think I haven't thought enough about what I'm supposed to be teaching you girls."

"What are you talking about?" Rory asked, in confusion. How was any of this Lorelai's fault?

"I'm talking about my own personal lack of commitment skills." Lorelai confessed. "I mean, look, I love that you and Christa have my eyes and my coffee addiction and my taste in music and movies, but when it comes to love and relationships, I don't necessarily want either you to be like me. I mean I can blame part of your sister's issues on your father, but I would hate to think that I raised a kid who couldn't say I love you."

"Mom." Rory said softly. She'd honestly never thought about it like that. It wasn't about Lorelai or about Christopher, it was just about her panicking in that one moment.

"I'm not even talk specifically about Dean." Lorelai told her. "I mean just generally in life. For example, say you're dating Taylor Hanson."

Rory made a face. "Why am I dating Taylor Hanson?"

"It's a hypothetical scenario, go with it." Lorelai told her. "So, uh, you and Taylor have been seeing each other pretty regularly.

"How did I meet Taylor Hanson?" Rory interrupted, unable to believe this ridiculous scenario her mother had dreamed up.

"You went to his concert, you got backstage, your eyes met across the crowd and you've been seeing each other ever since." Lorelai told her.

"Hanson's still together?" Rory said, raising an eyebrow.

Lorelai shrugged. "Yeah, they're the new Bee Gees, anyway..."

"You realize Christa would shoot me if I went to a Hanson concert." Rory pointed out, unable to resist.

Lorelai glared at her. "Hey, someone's trying to make a point."

"Sorry. Go on."

"So you and Taylor have been dating for awhile, and things are great, and, um, you're happy, and you feel all those crazy mushy things that people feel when they're in love." Lorelai continued. I want you to be able to say to him, 'Taylor, I love you.'"

Rory understood her mother's point, so she refrained from making another obnoxious comment.

"My point is it's scary to be in love, that much I know, because I really was in love with your father, once." Lorelai said quietly. "I guess I let how that worked out sour me, make me afraid, but it's also wonderful and special and if you can't say it or fully express it then you're never gonna be able to experience it and I want you to experience everything that's great because you're so great. Are you hearing me?"

Rory was quiet, she'd never heard her mother put it quite like that, discuss her relationship with Christopher quite that way. "Yeah, I'm hearing you." She said after a moment.

"I'm not saying you say 'I love you' at the drop of a hat." Lorelai continued. "It has to be right and real and it has to take a lot of thought. But someday with someone it will be right. I want you to be ready for that moment when it happens."

"Are you ready for that moment when it happens?" Rory asked quietly. "Again, I mean."

Lorelai smiled. "I'm working on it."

"What about Christa, do you think she's ready?" Rory asked.

Lorelai laughed. "Not in this century, but your sister's a different kind of special, we both know that."

"Does she know about...?" Rory asked.

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, was that wrong?"

"No." Rory said softly. "I'm glad she does." And she really was, she wanted Christa to know, she just hadn't wanted to talk about it.

"Are you ready to go home?" Lorelai asked after a moment.

Rory nodded. "I am."

* * *


	45. Part FortyFive: Finding the Balance

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Forty-Five: Finding the Balance

"So it all worked out well?" Christa asked Lorelai on the phone that evening. Collin had gone home a little while before, just before Straub and Francine got home, on the promise of seeing her the next night, and Christa had actually managed to do some homework before calling to check in on her sister.

"It did." Lorelai told her. "We had a good chat."

"Is she home?" Christa inquired.

"No, she's at Lane's." Lorelai answered.

Christa smiled, so her sister had worked things out with her best friend, that was good. She, personally, thought that Lane was a little boring, but she was a good friend to Rory and that was what mattered.

"Do you want to come over and spend time with Mommy?" Lorelai inquired. "I know it's a school night, but it's only 7, you can make it back to Hartford at a decent hour."

"Sure." Christa said with a shrug. "Straub and Francine aren't home, anyway."

They'd come home for about a couple hours and then left for some society event--they'd invited her along, but she'd begged off, citing the algebra homework she had no intention of doing.

"Oh, the social thing you mentioned, duh." Lorelai said. "How'd you get out of it?"

"Homework." Christa told her. She would have gone, but neither Logan or Collin were going to be there, so she had no interest. It was the sub-parties that made the society life worth living.

"But I'm pretty much done now." Christa assured her mother.

And she was, just not to the same extent her sister probably was. Christa was the type to do the bare minimum, while Rory was the type to read several chapters ahead.

"I'll head out in about five minutes." She promised her mother.

"Sounds good." Lorelai told her. "I'll pick out a movie."

Christa ended the call, a smile on her face. This was the best part of being back in Connecticut, getting to regularly hang out with her mother and Rory.

She'd never tell Lorelai, but growing up she'd envied Rory for getting to be with Lorelai all the time. Oh, she loved her father and they had a great thing going, but... It wasn't the same as having a mother around all the time and Christa wanted to savour every moment that she had with Lorelai, of getting to be around her regularly.

She knew that if she told her mom that, she'd feel guilty about all the times that she couldn't be there and Christa didn't want that. She just wanted to savour the time they had now, before Christopher moved them to some place new and it was gone again.

Christa was a realist, she knew this arrangement wouldn't last forever and she didn't really want it to, since she missed her dad, but she was going to enjoy it while it did last, because then when she missed her mom, at least she'd have the memories of the little things to see her through the hard, lonely days and she'd never had that before.

* * *

  
Rory came home from Lane's about nine o'clock. They'd had a long talk about Dean and the project and Rory had told Lane that she understood why she hadn't told her. They'd worked it all out and Rory was feeling a lot better.

Having her mom know about Dean really helped. When she got home she saw the familiar little blue sports car in the drive and knew Christa was over.

Rory smiled at the sight, glad that she'd have a chance to see her twin and maybe clear the air. Oh, it was still weird to have to share Lorelai, to accept that as awesome as their Mommy/Daughter bond was, Lorelai had a similar bond with Christa, that didn't include her.

She was always going to be the daughter that Lorelai raised and they'd always have their own special thing, but Christa was always going to be the daughter more like Lorelai and that was their special thing.

When Rory got in the house, she saw her mom and Christa on the couch, watching a movie, but instead of paying attention to the movie they were chatting.

"So, we're at the Livingston's anniversary party," Lorelai was saying, "and we're fifteen and neither of us wants to be there. So Christopher rounds up a bunch of our friends and we sneak out to the Livingston's pool house, having liberated the party of several bottles of champagne, and there we are, about twenty teenagers, having a grand 'ol time when Old Man Livingston wanders into the pool house with a young blonde who is definitely not _Mrs. Livingston._"

Christa started laughing. "Oh, my god! That must have been priceless!"

Rory just leaned against the doorway, waiting for the rest of the story.

"It was." Lorelai agreed. "I don't know who was more worried about being caught, us or him. We agreed to not tell Mrs. Livingston anything and he had the maids bring us a couple bottles of his best scotch. It worked out for everyone."

Christa laughed louder.

Rory listened to the story and understood why Lorelai never told her stories like this. She didn't think it was that funny, she felt bad for poor Mrs. Livingston, while Christa, the society brat, thought it was great. Plus, Rory had never been to that kind of party, it was something that Christa and Lorelai shared that she never would, so there was no way for her to relate to the story. It was all part of a world she could never see herself belonging too.

"Hey, when did you get home?" Lorelai asked, just noticing her.

"Just a minute ago." Rory said with a smile, going over to join her mother and sister on eh couch. "I didn't want to interrupt your riveting story about the Livingstons."

"It's all done now." Christa told her with a smile. "So how was Lane's? You guys make up?"

"Yep." Rory answered. "Everything's all better."

She smiled at her sister and Christa smiled in return, getting the message that they were good. Everything was good.

* * *

  
Lorelai watched her girls as they discussed the big end of school party that Louise was holding. Christa was planning on going, Rory wasn't, big surprise.

But that was her girls. Rory was a thinker, she planned everything meticulously and worried about things, while Christa was a doer, who just went with the flow and never thought anything through. They had very different ways of dealing with their problems and handling their emotions. They were so alike on the outside, but so different on the inside.

"Mom, do you think you could make me a dress for the party?" Christa called out. "Something sexy and stunning."

"Sure." Lorelai answered, caught off guard. She made a lot of Rory's clothes, but she hadn't made anything for Christa since she was little, Christopher had always been happy to let his parents pay for Christa's clothes.

Christa grinned. "Awesome. Louise can't stop talking about the dress you made Rory for the Christmas dance and I wanted something unique, that would knock everyone's socks off." Christa paused. "You know, Ror, it would be even better if you came to0 and we wore matching dresses, maybe in opposing colours are something."

Rory paused. "Sure." She said finally.

Lorelai was a little surprised that she gave in so soon, Rory had never seemed to enjoy any of the Chilton gatherings she'd gone to in the past.

"But I'm not dying my hair." Rory added firmly.

Christa just laughed. "I think that's ok. Mine's longer than yours anyway and I'm definitely not cutting it, so we can't go for an entirely identical look, just enough to make everyone realize we're a set."

Rory smiled and Lorelai realized that was why she'd agreed to go the party. After years of basically being an only child, Rory loved having her sister around to do things with and for the first time they were really able to do the twin thing.

"Identical dresses can be arranged." Lorelai said with a smile. "How about a black bodice and purple skirt for Rory and a purple bodice and black skirt for you, Christa? Or I can make one dress purple and the other blue, there are lots of ways we can go about this."

Lorelai smiled as her daughters began to animatedly discuss what direction they wanted to do. Turns out, she enjoyed seeing her girls do the twin thing, as much as they enjoyed doing it. It was good to have Christa in Connecticut, that was for sure.

* * *


	46. Part FortySix: The Tristan Factor

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.  
_  
Part Forty-Six: The Tristan Factor

Christa was surprised to see Tristan waiting by her locker when she got there on Monday. She was even more surprised to see that he had two concert tickets in his hand.

"Who are those for?" She asked as she shoved her books in the locker.

"You." Tristan said simply. "Two tickets to see No Doubt in New York next week."

Christa raised her eyebrows, knowing that Tristan wasn't exactly a big fan of the band, no matter how hot he thought Gwen Steffani was. "I thought you weren't interested anymore." Christa said lightly, not sure at all what the tickets meant.

"I was always interested, I just had to calm down." Tristan told her.

"I'm still seeing Collin, sometimes." Christa wanted him. "As well as a couple of other guys."

For example, she was seeing Robert the next night for the ballet. She didn't want to scare off Tristan, but she wanted to be upfront about the fact that this wouldn't be an exclusive thing.

"I hate it." Tristan told her. "But I'll deal with it. I've had a month to realize I'd rather wait in line to see you than not see you at all. So does that mean you'll go to the concert with me?"

"Sure." Christa said, taking one of the tickets and putting in her purse. "I'll definitely go with you." She smiled coyly at Tristan. "You know these sort of reunions warrant kisses."

"Do they now?" Tristan asked, pulling her towards him even as he spoke.

Christa let him push her against her locker, savouring the feel of his warm, hard body against her. She didn't want to date Tristan exclusively, but she'd missed him and she was definitely glad to be seeing him again...

* * *

  
Rory blinked when she got to school and saw her sister and Tristan plastered against her locker in a deep lip lock.

"I thought they'd stopped doing that." Paris commented from behind her.

"So did I." Rory said dryly. She sighed and then tapped her sister on the shoulder.

A moment later, Christa pulled away from Tristan. "Hey, Ror, what's up?" She asked, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

"Um, not much." Rory said awkwardly, watching in amazement as her twin opened her locker and started fixing her lip gloss.

"I've got to run to class." Tristan said after a moment. "You free tonight?"

"I am." Christa told him. "Call me."

"Will do." Tristan agreed and then he gave Christa a quick kiss before heading down the hallway, a smug grin on his face.

"I thought you guys weren't talking, let alone kissing?" Rory commented.

Christa shrugged. "He bought me No Doubt tickets and said he was willing to accept a casual thing, so I said yes."

Rory had a million things she wanted to say, but she knew better than to say them. As her mother kept telling her, she and Christa were very different people and she had no right to judge how Christa ran her life or her relationships.

"He just came up to you like that and you forgave him without any issue?" Rory asked after a moment.

Christa shrugged. "I like Tristan. A lot. I enjoy being with him, I just didn't want to date him exclusively, but once he was willing to accept that, why would I keep punishing him?"

Rory paused, wondering if Dean would see that same logic. If she went to Dean and told him that she loved him would that be enough? Would he take her back or was it too late? It was strange to be influenced by her sister's love life, but she was and for the first time in months, she felt hopeful again...

* * *

  
Lorelai smiled at Max over coffee. She had her class in Hartford and he'd come to meet her, just as he often did if she wasn't meeting Christa. She'd gotten a text message from her daughter that morning saying she was hanging with Tristan after school and had arranged to meet Max instead. She was definitely going to demand details from Christa though, since she'd thought that Tristan was long out of the picture.

"You're daughter likes to push the boundaries." Max told her with a smile.

"What did she do this time?" Lorelai asked, not even having to ask 'which daughter?'

It was one of those mom things, she always knew which daughter worked too hard and which one liked to push limits. Of course, it was a pretty simple deduction, since Rory was the model child and Christa, well wasn't. Not that she was a bad kid, she just liked to push her boundaries as much as possible.

"She seems to enjoy breaking the schools PDA rules." Max answered. "I don't mind, especially since she doesn't do it in class, but I know a few of the teachers talked to both her and Mr. DuGrey about it today."

"So she is back with Tristan then?" Lorelai asked curiously.

Max shrugged. "That's certainly how it appeared, from the fact that they seemed to be glued together on all their breaks. Is that weird?"

"Nah." Lorelai told him.

"But you didn't know?" Max pressed. "I thought you always knew what was going on with your daughters."

"With Christa, things tend to change spontaneously." Lorelai said with a smile. "And I did get a text, I just wasn't sure what it meant. As I said, with Christa, things change quickly. It's hard to keep up."

That was true and Lorelai didn't know why she considered this reunion significant, because Tristan certainly wasn't the first boy her daughter had indulged in PDAs with and he certainly wouldn't be the last. Except this was the first time she'd ever heard of her daughter going back to a guy after she was finished with him. Maybe her daughter was changing or maybe she'd care more for Tristan than she was willing to admit.

Whatever it was, Lorelai was happy to see the change happen. Maybe it meant she hadn't screwed up her daughter's emotionally after all. It was certainly a nice thought, that's for sure. 


	47. Part FortySeven: LifeChanging Moments

Sugar and Spice  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Rating in Part One.  
_  
_A.N- This is the end of "Sugar and Spice", but not the end of Christa's journey. There'll be a second story, coming soon, continuing her adventures and detailing the next chapter in her life (and the next season in the lives of the Gilmore girls). Some things are going to change, others will stay the same, but it will all weave together to fit my ultimate plot (and I have all seven years worked out--I'll diverge from cannon pretty much completely by book 5). The next saga in Christa's life covers a new city, a new school and the entrance of Sherri into her life with Christopher. Our girl is going to have some serious troubles adjusting and I hope you'll continue reading and see how our favourite bad boys help her deal with them. That's all, I hope you've enjoyed "Sugar and Spice"!  
_  
Chapter Forty-Seven: Life-Changing Moments

"Hey princess."

"Hi Dad." Christa said, smiling into the phone.

It was a Thursday afternoon and school was almost over for years and things were generally going really well. There was a week of school left and Lorelai was almost done their dresses for Louise's party. She and Tristan were going to the concert the next day and she had a date with Collin for Saturday and she was generally having a good time. Life was good.

"I got the job." Christopher announced. "In Boston. They want me to start in two weeks. When do you want to go apartment hunting?"

Christa sat there in stunned silence. Boston. Two weeks. Wow.

"I mean, you do want to go to Boston with me, right?" Christopher asked.

"Yeah." Christa assured him, not knowing what else she could possibly say. "Of course, I do, Dad." And she did. Sort of. She loved her father and had missed him, but she'd gotten into a groove here, at Chilton, with her mom and Rory, with her friends. And yet... The school year was almost done, Boston was a lot closer to Stars Hollow than California, and Collin and them were leaving for Yale in the fall anyway.

"Can I spend the summer here?" She asked hesitatingly. "At least the next couple weeks."

"Sure." Christopher told her. "You sure you don't want to pick out the new place?"

"Wherever you pick will be fabulous." Christa assured him. "So we're definitely doing this?"

"We are." Christopher told her. "I think it's finally time for me to grow up, kiddo. These last few months without you taught me that. I missed you too much and I realized I needed to do what was best for you."

"Dad..." Christa said softly, not sure what to say.

"No, Christa, I'm serious." Christopher told her. "We're a team, you and I against the world and I've missed that. I know it's going to be great living in Boston, plus we'll be closer to your mom and Rory, which'll be nice."

"It will." Christa agreed, trying not to let her sadness show in her voice.

It would be nice to be closer, but after living in Hartford, she wasn't sure it'd be enough. She'd had her mom and Rory in her life every day, getting to do the simple things with them, and now she'd have to go back to sharing weekends and holidays. Yes, it was better than visits twice a year, but it still wasn't enough. Not by a long shot. Still, she would never tell her father that, because he was right and they were a team.

"Any requests for your room?" Christopher asked, breaking her out of her reverie. "Purple, right?"

"You got it." Christa answered with a grin.

Her father did know her so well and she was happy to be living with him again, because she'd missed him, but... It felt strange to end this chapter of her life, but life was a series of bends in the road and she'd just reached another one, that's all. She'd always known this one would come, she just never thought it would come so soon...

* * *

  
Rory knocked on Dean's door, screwing up all her courage. She'd gone to Dosey's to talk to him, but he wasn't there, even though it was Thursday and he normally worked Thursdays.

She was pretty terrified about talking to him and had even had a nightmare about his sister answering the door and Rory traumatising her, but she'd screwed up her courage and decided to do it. She figured that if Tristan could reunite with Christa, than she could reunite with Dean. Rory knew it wasn't even remotely the same, but she'd been impressed by Tristan's courage and the fact that he'd seen what was missing in his life and decided to get it back. She could do the same.

"Rory." Dean said, answering the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I love you." Rory blurted out, screwing up all her courage.

Dean just stared at her, not saying anything. Rory stood there, waiting for him to say something, but he kept staring.

After a moment, Rory felt herself turn pink and looked away. She was an idiot, she shouldn't have come. Of course, he didn't want to hear those words. It was too late, months too late, he'd moved on and...

Suddenly, Dean was pulling her towards him, making her look at him and then he was kissing her and all other thoughts flew out of Rory's brain. She was with Dean and they were kissing. Everything was okay again!

"I love you." Dean told her after they finally broke apart. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." Rory told him. "More than anything."

She wanted to tell him how miserable she'd been, how awful their months apart had been, but the words didn't come.

Instead, she decided to show him and kissed him again, not caring that they were standing on his front porch for all of Stars Hollow to see. She and Dean were back together, all was right in the world!

* * *

  
"Marry me."

Lorelai looked at Max and then at the thousand yellow daisies which he'd filled the lobby of the Independence Inn with. It was definitely a grand gesture, that was for sure. And there was an intensity to his words. It was definitely magical, she'd give him that.

The night before, he'd proposed as a way to end their argument about how they'd spent their time apart and she'd told him that a proposal needed to be magical and well.... This was definitely magical.

"Marry me." Max repeated. "Lorelai, I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Lorelai just stood there, staring at him.

"You were right last night, I shouldn't have proposed to you. It was stupid. It was the wrong place and the wrong time, but it was the right sentiment. I didn't propose to you because we were fighting, I proposed because I love you." Max told her passionately. "We're not children, Lorelai, there's no reason for us to wait any longer, our relationship's been stuck in a weird holding pattern and I want to move forward. So marry me."

"I..." Lorelai began.

"I know you need time." Max told her. "You'll need to talk to Rory and Christa, because they're part of the package, and I expect that. I can be patient, I just needed to get that our there."

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and then, before he could say another word, he strode out of the Inn, leaving her shell-shocked staring after him.

This was a huge, life-changing moment and she honestly had no idea how to react. It was just... Wow.

* * *

  
"Mom, I have news!" Rory called as she ran into the house, but after a moment she realized it was empty.

Then a second later, she heard a car pull up. "Mom, Rory! I've got big news!" Christa called as she ran into the house.

"Me too!" Rory told her sister, but before either one of them could speak, another car pulled up.

"Rory! Christa! Mommy's got big news!" Lorelai called out.

Rory and Christa were waiting for her, repeating the sentiments.

"You first!" All three of them shouted, pointing at a different woman. They all laughed.

"Dean and I are back together!" Rory announced, unable to contain it any longer.

"Oh, Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed, giving her a big hug. As soon their mother was done, Christa did the same.

"Your turn." Lorelai said, pointing at her other daughter.

"Dad got a job in Boston." Christa told them. "I'm staying here for at least part of the summer and then going there."

Rory felt her stomach sink. Christa was leaving. Oh, she knew that it couldn't possibly last forever, that some day Christa would have to go back and live with their dad, but she just hadn't wanted some day to come so quickly. Or at all for that matter. She'd wanted Christa to stay in Connecticut with them.

"Boston, that's close." Lorelai said after a moment. "You'll be able to come visit on the weekends."

"That's what Dad said." Christa said, struggling to smile. "And Rory, you should be able to come stay with us, once we're settled."

"That'd be great." Rory said weakly, still trying to process the fact that Christa was leaving. But at least Boston was better than California. "I'll miss you at Chilton."

Christa made a face. "I'll miss you too, but at least we can see each other on weekends and stuff, it won't be like it was before and I promise, as long as Francine and Straub can bribe the admissions people to let me in, I'll go to college wherever you do."

Rory smirked. "I'll hold you to that."

"Deal." Christa commented, then she looked at Lorelai. "Rory and I have dished, now your turn."

"Max asked me to marry him!" Lorelai announced.

Rory stared at her mom in shock. She knew her mom was seeing Mr. Medina again, but she hadn't known they were that serious.

"Seriously?" Christa asked, grabbing Lorelai and pulling her into a hug. "Mom, that's amazing!"

"Yeah, it's great." Rory echoed.

"I haven't said yes yet." Lorelai told hem. "I wanted to discuss it with you two first. It's a big change."

"Not for me." Christa pointed out with a shrug. "I'm only your part-time kid."

"You're always my kid, no matter where you live." Lorelai told her. "You still get a vote in this, your life still changes."

"I just want you to be happy." Christa told her, though Rory could tell she was conflicted about the news.

But then so was Rory. She liked Max, she wanted her mom to be happy, but... Some part of always hoped that if Lorelai ever got married it would be to Christopher and she knew that Christa shared her hope. A hope that had been able to stay alive as long as neither Christopher or Lorelai ever got serious about anyone else, a dream that was now being dashed forever.

"What do you think, Ror?" Lorelai asked, looking at her.

"I just want you to be happy too." Rory said, echoing her sister, then she smiled. "Plus I like Mr. Medina, he's nice."

It was true, Max was very nice and if he made Lorelai happy that was all that mattered.

"You know, if he marries Mom, you're going to have to stop calling him Mr. Medina." Christa pointed out with a smile.

Rory laughed. "True." She looked at her mom, "are you going to say yes?"

Lorelai paused for a moment, looked at her two girls, then smiled. "I think I am." Both Christa and Rory shrieked and ran to give their mother a huge.

Rory stood there, huddled with her mother and sister in a group hug and realized that however much their lives changed, there was constant: They'd always have each other .

- The End


End file.
